From the national government to grassroots levels, Japan boasts varied experience and know-how related to safeguarding ICH. Following up UNESCO’s “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage”, adopted in 2003, and the Japanese government’s "Law on the Promotion of International Cooperation for Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad" effectuated in 2007, ACCU has been conducting “the International Partnership Programme for Safeguarding of ICH with Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkacho), Japan from 2007 to 2009.

In 2009 – 2010, this programme is to be carried out in three stages. Firstly, the Japanese and international networks are to be maintained and strengthened for better implementation of the programme. Secondly, a Training Course for Safeguarding of ICH is being organised for those who have been working on safeguarding of ICH in the Asia-Pacific region. A series of lectures in the Training Course is to be videotaped for uploading in ACCU's ICH Database, at the final stage.

Activities under the Project

1. Establishment of Japanese and International Networks for ICH:

Through the 2007-09 programmes, ACCU established the Japanese Cooperating Organisation Network which consists of respected organisations working on ICH in Japan, and the National Correspondent Organisation Network in 22 countries.

The Japanese Cooperating Organisation Network (2009-10 Programme)

Organisations in the network cooperate on the programme by providing information relating to ICH, dispatching lectures for the training course and supporting ACCU in the arrangement of a field visit in the training course.

List of Japanese Cooperating Organisation

National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, National Institutes for the Humanities (National Museum of Ethnology, National Museum of Japanese History), Japan Arts Council, Kyoto Prefecture, Municipality of Kyoto, Nara Municipal Board of Education, Sakai City

The National Correspondent Organisation Network (2009-10 Programme)

The National Correspondent Organisations which are in and beyond the Asia-Pacific region, support the programme by nominating participants for the training course, providing each country’s national law for safeguarding of ICH and the country’s ICH report.

International Network　(21 countries)

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Fiji, Iran, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam

2. Organisation of the Training Course

“The Training Course for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage” has been conducted as human resource training in Japan, inviting participants from countries in and beyond Asia and the Pacific. Lectures about Japan’s ICH safeguarding experience with its history of over 50 years are given by the Japanese Cooperating Organisation Network. The series of the training course is planned to contain 5 themes.

In the 2007-08 programme, the 1st training course was organised under the theme of “Introduction to Legal Systems for Safeguarding of ICH” inviting participants from 14 countries. In the 2008-09 programme, the 2nd introductory training course was held with participants from 9 countries.

In the 2009-10 programme, ACCU will organise the 3rd training course themed “Inventory Making for ICH”, from 15-22 July 2009. At the 3rd course, participants will learn the National Policies on inventory making for ICH, as well as local government and community activities. Also, we will provide the participants with a chance to learn a municipal activity for safeguarding of ICH by taking the Gion Festival as an example.

Themes of the Training Course (5-year plan)

1st. Introduction to Legal Systems for Safeguarding of ICH (UNESCO and Japan)
2nd. Foundation of Legal Systems for Safeguarding of ICH
3rd. Inventory Making for ICH (from preparation)
4th. Safeguarding of ICH: from Planning to Implementation
5th. Safeguarding of ICH at the Community Level

3. Development of Learning Materials (Visual and Prints)

The series of lectures in the training course are to be videotaped and uploaded to ACCU's Database on ICH. It targets not only the Course participants but also the general public to promote publicity of safeguarding activities of ICH.