The
Educational
Heritageof
Early
ModernJapan
ー Proposal for Inscription
on the World Heritage Tentative List ー

The Educational Heritage of
Early Modern Japan
Proposal for Inscription on the World Heritage Tentative List

2022

World Heritage Inscription Council for the Early Modern Japanese Educational Sites(Ashikaga City, Bizen City, Hita City, and Mito City)

Kangi-en(Hita City)

Shizutani Gakkô Mameda-machi(Bizen City)(Hita City)

The Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan
Proposal for inscription on the World Heritage Tentative List
First published 2022 byWorld Heritage Inscription Council for the Early Modern Japanese Educational Sites(Ashikaga City, Bizen City, Hita City, and Mito City)

Kôdôkan(Mito City)

Printed by Kanto Printing Co., Ltd.
Translated by Interbooks Co.,Ltd.
Kairaku-en(Mito City)

Ashikaga Gakkô(Ashikaga City)

OverviewThe Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan comprises sites in four locations: Ashikaga Gakkô(Ashikaga Academy) in Ashikaga City; Shizutani Gakkô (Shizutani School) in Bizen City; Kangi-en(Kangi-en Academy) and Mameda-machi (Mameda-machi Town) in Hita City; and Kôdôkan (Kôdôkan
School) and Kairaku-en Garden in Mito City. These sites represent examples of diverse places oflearning and educational systems that supported Japanese society in the early modern period, which
stretched from the mid-16th to the mid-19th century. Taken together, they comprise educational
heritage sites that contain all the elements necessary to clearly express Japan’s unique approach toeducation—a globally outstanding education that was not exclusive to the ruling classes.
Following a protracted period of civil war, the early modern period in Japan was a time of relative peace. Laws
were promulgated, organizations established, and the importance of written documents grew. Children andadults from all classes sought knowledge in wide-ranging fields, including but not limited to reading, writing,and the abacus. In the light of such societal trends, statesmen and intellectuals set about establishing places oflearning where students could immerse themselves in all manner of subjects, ranging from elementary education
to kokugaku (“national studies”), Chinese studies, and Western studies.
Most of these places of learning offered education to people from different classes, of different ages, and fromdifferent regions, and they coexisted in harmony with nature and their local communities. They were responsible
for an increase in the number of people from all classes with high degrees of literacy. In addition to investing
their students with a diversity of knowledge and culture, these educational institutions helped establish normsof etiquette across society. They produced skilled leaders and talented human resources who would go on toplay an active role in society, and so contributed both to the growth and to the stabilization of society in earlymodern Japan. As demand for knowledge among the people grew, so did the number of educational institutions,and vice versa, creating a virtuous cycle of learning. These institutions also played a key role in producing
leaders who would ensure Japan became the first country in Asia to successfully modernize.
The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO draws attention to the importance of education and to the duty
countries have of ensuring “education for all”; yet today, equal educational opportunities continue to be a major
issue around the world.
Recent years have also seen a growing focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Education was oneof the pillars that enabled early modern Japanese society to grow sustainably, and the Educational History of
Early Modern Japan is a rare serial property that bears testimony to establishing diverse seats of learning andeducational systems, making education available to all, and offering education that encourages individuals, andto the importance of education in the history of the world.

Nominated Property List
Ashikaga Gakkô (Ashikaga Academy):The middle of the 15th century to the middle of the
16th century was a time of civil war in Japan; yet large numbers of students from across thecountry—from Ôshû Province in the north to Ryûkyû Dynasty in the south—studied diverse
subjects at the academy, including Confucianism and divination. From the 17th century onward,
Ashikaga Gakkô became a school of the shogunate and a cornerstone of the Educational
Heritage of Early Modern Japan.
Shizutani Gakkô (Shizutani School):Ikeda Mitsumasa, lord of Okayama Domain, founded Shizutani
Gakkô in 1670; it is the oldest extant public school for commoners in the world. The idea that
education is a key component in the nurturing of regional leaders continues to the present day.
Kangi-en (Kangi-en Academy):The Confucian scholar Hirose Tansô established Kangi-en in 1817.
The academy adopted the “Sandatsuho” system, which ensured that students were welcome
regardless of their social status, age, or educational background; it went on to become the largest
private academy in early modern Japan.
Mameda-machi (Mameda-machi Town):A shogunate gundai (intendant) was established in
Mameda-machi in 1767. Mameda-machi was home to many wealthy merchants, including
the family of Hirose Tansô. The children of these merchants enrolled in Kangi-en alongside
students who had gathered from across Japan. Mameda-machi supported Kangi-en’s activities byassuming the role of a college town, providing lodgings for the academy’s students.
Kôdôkan (Kôdôkan School):Established by Tokugawa Nariaki, lord of Mito Domain, in
1841,Kôdôkan boasted the largest grounds of any domain school in Japan. It was akin to auniversity, and provided instruction in various subjects.
Kairaku-en (Kairaku-en Garden):Kairaku-en was created in 1842, following Tokugawa Nariaki’s
philosophy of “Icchô Isshi” (“tension and relaxation”); he built Kôdôkan as a place for study(“tension”), and Kairaku-en as a place of culture (“relaxation”). It was open to commoners in
Mito Domain.

ⅰPreface
This document was compiled by the Education Department of the History Cultural Assets Division of the Mito
Board of Education Secretariat, the Culture Division of the Ashikaga Board of Education Secretariat, theCulture Promotion Division of the Bizen Board of Education Secretariat, and the World Heritage Promotion
Council Secretariat of the Hita City Education Office, in line with guidance and advice provided by the Expert
Comittees of the World Heritage Inscription Council for the Early Modern Japanese Educational Sites.

Contents

Overview ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ ⅰIntroduction: What is “Educational Heritage”? ･･･････････････････････････････････････････ 1
0.1 The significance of the nominated property ･････････････････････････････････････････ 1
0.2 The significance of inscribing the Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan on theWorld Heritage List ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 1
1 Identification of the property ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 2
1.1 Regions ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 2
1.2 Name of the property ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 2
1.3 Locations and site areas ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 2
1.4 Map, nominated property and buffer zones ･･････････････････････････････････････････ 2
2 Description of the property ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 3
2.1 Details of the property ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 3
2.2 A history of education in Japan ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････ 9
3 Justification for inscription ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 12
3.1 Criteria under which inscription is proposed (and justification for inscription under thesecriteria) ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 12
3.2 The integrity of the nominated property ･･･････････････････････････････････････････ 14
3.3 Authenticity of the nominated property ････････････････････････････････････････････ 15
3.4 Comparative analysis ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 16
4 State of conservation and factors affecting the property ･･･････････････････････････････････ 19
4.1 Current state ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 19
4.2 Factors affecting the nominated property ･･･････････････････････････････････････････ 19
5 Protection and management of the property ･････････････････････････････････････････････ 20
5.1 Protective designation ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 20
5.2 Property management plan or other management system･･････････････････････････････ 20
5.3 Policies related to the maintenance, public visits, and use of the properties ･･･････････････ 21
5.4 Comprehensive management plans and buffer zones ･･････････････････････････････････ 21
6 Monitoring ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 22
6.1 Key indicators for measuring state of conservation ･･･････････････････････････････････ 22
6.2 Administrative arrangements for monitoring properties ･･･････････････････････････････ 22
6.3 Results of previous reporting exercises･････････････････････････････････････････････ 22

Iⅱ

n this proposal, we have termed the replication of a building’s original condition through the use ofsources such as pictures, records, and old photographs as “restoration”; we have termed the repair ofparts of buildings that have been damaged by natural disasters or that have degraded over time as“repair”; and we have termed other forms of minor maintenance as “maintenance.”

Introduction: What is “Educational Heritage”?
0.1 The significance of the nominated property

Education is the most creative, sincere, and sublime
activity that can be undertaken by humankind.
Using education to improve the cultural level anddeepen our understanding of inclusiveness is of
exceptional importance that will influence the futureof humankind. The preamble to the UNESCO
Constitution underscores the significance of
education, and indicates that society has a duty toensure “education for all.”This proposal of the Educational Heritage of Early
Modern Japan is rooted in an understanding of
education’s universal and international significance.
Between the middle of the 16th and the middle ofthe 19th centuries, schools across Japan undertook
educational activities that were among the mostoutstanding in the world. This nomination proposes
four representative educational institutions—Ashikaga Gakkô (Ashikaga Academy), Shizutani
Gakkô (Shizutani School), Kangi-en (Kangien Academy), and Kôdôkan(Kôdôkan School)—as well as an integral garden—Kairaku-en—and
townscape—Mameda-machi (Mameda-machi
Town)—as components of this serial property.
Early modern Japan was a society relatively atpeace, and so education evolved in a unique manner,even while sharing Confucianism as the cultural basiswith other regions in the East Asian cultural sphere.
Although Japanese society was dominated bya class system, people from different classes, ofdifferent ages, and from different regions often had
opportunities to learn reading and writing, and to
study culture and practical discipline; through theconcerted efforts of diverse parties, sustainableeducational environments were created, capable ofinspiring motivation among the people.
Early modern Japanese education developed
as a systematic practice without being a formal
national system. It was one of the most outstanding
education in the world for its nationwide existence
and its sustainable manner of development.
Ashikaga Gakkô, which was established in the
Middle Ages, served as a model for Confucian-centric
schools in the early modern period. Shizutani Gakkô,
a local school that opened its doors at the beginningof the early modern period, provided opportunities
for learning to commoners. Kangi-en, which was
founded in the second half of the early modern
period, helped normalize this tradition of providing
learning to commoners. Kôdôkan, a domain school
established around the same time as Kangi-en,
became a large-scale educational institution thatdrew on the diverse educational experiences of earlymodern Japan. The nominated property includes not
only schools, but also a garden and a townscape thatform integral parts of these places of learning, andis a physical manifestation of the educational systemof early modern Japan.

0.2 The significance of inscribing the Educational
Heritage of Early Modern Japan on the World
Heritage List

Previously, education-related properties have been
inscribed on the World Heritage List due to thehistorical and aesthetic value of their structures,or due to the cultural and spatial value of the cities
in which they are located; however, no educationrelated properties have been inscribed primarily forthe outstanding universal value of their educational
activities and for their historical significance.
At the 43rd session of the World Heritage
Committee, held in 2019, the Republic of Korea’s“The Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies”
were inscribed on the World Heritage List based on
the following Statement of Outstanding Universal
Value: “The seowon illustrate a historical process inwhich Neo-Confucianism from China was tailored to
Korean local conditions.” It suggested the possibilityof opening the World Heritage List to new types of
educational properties.
Our proposal seeks to create a new heritage concept.
We propose that “educational heritage” be defined asa site, or series of sites, where education—which is auniversal and intangible value—was practiced, andwhich has been preserved and passed down to thepresent day. We further propose that “educational
heritage” properties fulfil the following two criteria:
1. The component part is a site that demonstrates
essential links to education. Regardless of being
the main part or the part integral to it, each partpossesses tangible value and is seen as a component
part of the educational heritage by means of its
educational value.
2. The education undertaken at the component partpossesses universal cultural value, in terms ofcultural and academic history, the history of ideas,
and educational history.
Education in early modern Japan possesses auniqueness and universality, even when seeninternationally. Modern-day society demands
cultural diversity and mutual understanding, andplaces increasing demands on education. This
proposal can serve as a basis for all countries toconsider their future approaches to education. In
the 21st century, humankind is trying to accomplish
a major achievement—to guarantee independent
education for all. This nominated property is aheritage that should be shared with everyone, in amanner that transcends national borders.

Introduction: What is “Educational Heritage”?

11

Identification of the property

1.1 Regions

Tochigi Prefecture, Okayama Prefecture, ÔitaPrefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture(listed according to the date of establishment of
their component parts)

1.3 Locations and site areas

The Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japanis a serial property that comprises six components.
The locations, legal designations, and site areasof each of the components, according to current
administrative divisions, are detailed in table 1.

1.2 Name of the property

Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan(provisional name)
Table 1: Components of the nominated property and their locations
No

Component(Name listed
by Japanese
government)

1

Ashikaga Gakkô(Ashikaga Gakkôato)

2

Shizutani Gakkô(kyû Shizutani
Gakkô )

3-1

Kangi-en(Kangi-en ato)

3-2

Mameda-machi(Hita-shi Mamedamachi dentôteki
kenzôbutsugun
hozonchiku)

4-1

Kôdôkan(kyû Kôdôkan)4-2

Kairaku-en(Tokiwa kôen)

Legal designation(Designation by
Japanese government)

Building
coordinates
measured

LatitudeLongitude

Site
Area
in m2

Ashikaga City,
Tochigi Prefecture

Monument(Historic Site)

Taiseiden

N 36°20′09.35″
E139°27′13.24″

18,179Bizen City,
OkayamaPrefecture

Monument(Special Historic Site)

Kôdô

N 34°47′46.93″
E134°13′10.16″

38,327

Monument(Historic Site)Shûfûan

N 33°19′23.49″
E130°56′06.74″

6,647

Important Preservation
Districts for Groups of
Traditional Buildings

Hiroseke

N 33°19′36.24″
E130°56′11.70″

107,000

Monument(Special Historic Site)

Seichô

N 36°22′31.27″
E140°28′38.21″

34,105

Monument(Historic Site and Placeof Scenic Beauty)

Kôbuntei

N 36°22′27.48″
E140°27′09.87″

138,493

Location

Hita City,Ôita Prefecture

Mito City,
Ibaraki Prefecture

1.4 Map, nominated property and buffer zones

The coordinates of the components are shown indiagram 1.
We intend to discuss protection, management, andbuffer zones for each component going forward, andcreate maps showing the position and scope of thebuffer zones, as well as their legal protective status.

2 Shizutani Gakkô
1 Ashikaga Gakkô
4-1 Kôdôkan
4-2 Kairakuen

3-1 Kangi-en
3-2 Mameda-machi-machiDiagram 1: Locations of component parts

2

1 Identification of the property

2

Description of the property

2.1 Details of the property(1) Ashikaga Gakkô (Ashikaga Academy)
Ashikaga Gakkô is the oldest extant academyin Japan. T he e xact year of the academy’s
establishment is unknown, with mooted dates
ranging from the 9th to the 14th century. The
first concrete reference to the academy is written
in the Gakkô Shôgyôdô Nichiyô Kenshô (Rules andregulations for school-affiliated hospital), which
was published in 1423. It was around this time that
Uesugi Norizane, kantô kanrei (shôgun’s deputy),
endowed the academy with gakuden (land whose
produce would provide it with financial security),
donated texts, and codified its regulations.
Around the mid-16th century, the Jesuit missionary
Francis Xavier described Ashikaga Gakkô as Japan’s
leading educational institution: “this academy
in the Bandô (present-day Kantô) region is thelargest in Japan and its most famous.” Taiseiden(Kôshidô:Confucian shrine) and the Kyôdanmon,
Gakkômon, and Nyûtokumon gates—which together
came to symbolize the academy—were erected in
1668, and Ashikaga Gakkô became a standard forschools in early modern Japan. Throughout the earlymodern period, various cultural figures and scholars
visited the academy, seeking to read the valuable
Chinese texts and other books including those giftedto the academy by Norizane.
The site-layout of Ashikaga Gakkô was nearly fixedin the 15th century, and in the early modern period
the academy was split broadly into two, with theConfucian shrine area to the west, and the study area
to the east (diagram 2-1). Depending on the region,some schools around this time were divided into
north and south areas; however, Ashikaga Gakkôfollowed the traditional Chinese approach of dividing
areas into west and east.

Photograph 2-1: Ashikaga Gakkô(Taiseiden: Confucian shrine)

The academy grounds were surrounded by a moat
and earthen walls; Taiseiden, where Confucius
was venerated, stood in the western area, andfaced south. The Kyôdanmon, Gakkômon, andNyûtokumon gates were arranged to the south of
the Taiseiden. To the east of the grounds stood the
Hôjô (living quarters for the head priest of a Zen
Buddhism temple), Kuri (living space), and Shoin(reception room). With its Hôjô, Kuri, and Shoin all
located on the site, the architectural arrangement
and style of Ashikaga Gakkô retain the influenceof Zen Buddhism temples, unlike the succeeding
schools in the early modern period. In addition, theoldest extant buildings at the academy—Taiseiden
and Gakkômon—are also the oldest extant schoolbuildings in Japan.
Ashikaga Gakkô closed in the early Meiji era. The
eastern half was subsequently used as grounds foran elementary school. In 1990, when the elementary
school was relocated, Hôjô, Kuri, Shoin, and Shuryôwere restored to their state from the middle of theEdo period.
① Taiseiden (Kôshidô : Confucian shrine)

⑦
⑤
①
②
⑥

③

② Kyôdanmon gate
③ Gakkômon gate

⑧

⑫
⑨
⑬

④ Nyûtokumon gate⑩⑪

⑤ Graves of school heads⑥

Shôichii-reigen Inari-sha (Shôichii-reigen Inari-sha
shrine)⑦ Earthen walls⑧ Shoin (reception room)⑨④

Hôjo (living quarters for the head priest of a Zen
Buddhism temple)⑩ Kuri (living apace)
Original building
Restored building
Designated area of governmentdesignated Historic Site

⑪ Shuryô (student dorms)⑫ North garden⑬ South garden

Diagram 2-1: Designated site area of Ashikaga Gakkô, and its key component elements

2 Description of the property3(2) Shizutani Gakkô (Shizutani School)

Photograph 2-2: Shizutani Gakkô(Kôdo: lecture hall)

Shizutani Gakkô was established in 1670; it is theoldest extant public school for commoners in theworld. It was established by Ikeda Mitsumasa, firstlord of Okayama Domain, as a place to nurture
local leaders. Mistumasa’s retainer Tsuda Nagatada
oversaw the building of the school, erecting the
Gakubô(student dormitory) in 1672, the Kôdô
(lecture hall) in 1673, and the Seibyô (Confucian
shrine) in 1674. Following the death of Mitsumasa,
his eldest son Tsunamasa carried out renovations on
the school buildings, and by the start of the 18th
century it had reached the size it is today.
Instruction at the school was wide-ranging, fromfoundational writing, reading, and arithmetic to
Confucianism. Shizutani Gakkô sought to spreada shared culture among the people of Okayama
Domain, regardless of their class; indeed, the school’s
open-mindedness in both teaching and learning isevident from the fact that it admitted samurai andcommoners from other domains, and that commoners
were appointed to teach at and administer theschool. Held in high esteem by people of culture
from all over Japan, Shizutani Gakkô became a place
for such people to interact. Representatives of otherdomains also visited the school to observe how it wasrun.
As the name “Shizutani”—which means “peacefulvalley”—suggests, Shizutani Gakkô was establishedin a quiet mountain valley. Accompanied by Tsuda
Nagatada, Mitsumasa inspected and approved thearea. In his opinion, the environment was well
suited to education, aligning with the universal andfundamental Confucian approach of cultivating
one’s mind in places of scenic beauty: “Hills andrivers, quiet valleys—here is a place for reading andstudy.”The Shizutani Gakkô Kôdô (lecture hall) is theoldest extant Kôdô in Japan. Its structure anddesign are rooted in religious architecture. The Kôdô
was designed to provide a high-quality environment
for dynamic learning and, as the only example of a
Kôdô local school from the beginning of the earlymodern period, it is of great value. Even today, theschool’s buildings in this quiet valley area remain
well preserved.
On high ground to the east of the Kôdô standthe Seibyô, and Hôretsushi (present-day Shizutani
Jinja shrine); the Seibyô, where Confucius was
venerated, in particular is situated on higher ground.
Hôretsushi, where Mitsumasa was enshrined, andTsubakiyama—where Mitsumasa’s nails and hairwere interred—were located within the premises,
intended to protect the school for commoners
who were considered an inferior class in society.
Hiyokeyama (“fire prevention mountain”) was
built on the west side of the grounds for separating
ritual spaces from fire-prone everyday spaces (school
dormitories).
Shizutani Gakkô was closed in 1871 following thedisestablishment of Okayama Domain, but was
resurrected as Shizutani Shôja in 1873. Thereafter,
the site’s tradition of learning was passed down
through the generations in a raft of different guises,
including Shizutanikô, the private Shizutani JuniorHigh School, and the Okayama Prefectural Shizutani
Junior High School.
Kôdô (lecture hall)・Shôsai (room used for attendance① of the domain lord)⑤⑬③② Syûgeisai・Inshitsu (resting room)②①③ Hiyokeyama (fire prevention mountain)⑨⑩⑧④ Kômon gate (Kakumeimon gate used for the school gate)⑤ Sekihei (stone fence)

⑪

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⑥ Hanchi (rectangular pond)
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Kômon gate (Onarimon, gate used for attendance of⑦ the domain load)⑧ Tsubakiyama (Camelia Hill)⑨ Seibyô (Confucian shrine)

Original building
Restored building
Designated area of government-designated Special Historic Site

⑩ Hôretsushi (Shizutani Jinja shrine)⑪ Tsuda Nagatada Residence site
⑫ Kôyôtei (tea room)⑬ Gakubô (school dormitory) site

Diagram 2-2:Designated site area of Shizutani Gakkô, and its key component elements

4

2 Description of the property

(3) Kangi-en (Kangi-en Academy)
The Confucian scholar Hirose Tansô established
the Kangi-en private academy in Bungo Hita—aterritory under the direct control of the shogunate—
as a place to study kangaku (Chinese studies).
Tansô’s original academy was named Seishôsya,then renamed Keirin-en; in 1817, Tansô built a newacademy building in Horita-mura Village, a village
around 400 meters to the south of Mameda-machi(Mameda-machi Town), and called it Kangi-en. The
name “Kangi-en” is thought to have its roots ina passage from Shi Jing—the oldest collection ofChinese Poetry—meaning “everything is good.”T h e a c a d e my e s t a bl i s h e d va r i o u s u n i q u e
educational systems, including the egalitarian“Sandatsuhô” system, which ensured that students
were welcome regardless of social status, age,or educational background, and “Gettanhyô,”a meritocratic system of assessing and ranking
students’ academic achievements on a monthly basis.
By the time the academy closed in 1897, a total ofmore than 5,000 students had passed through its
gates. Some alumni went on to become educatorsthemselves, broadening the range of educational
opportunities available to commoners.
The Gettanhyô system was adopted by otherprivate academies—Sanekisha and Seibi-en in
Hiroshima Prefecture; Suisai-en in Fukuoka
Prefecture; and Hakuenshoin in Ôsaka Prefecture—
as well as the Gokôkan domain school in Ômura
Domain, influencing other schools with its advanced
educational system.
The original Kangi-en building, known as Seike(West house), was opened on land to the westof Mamekuma Ômichi, the road that connected
Mameda-machi and the country town of Kumamachi Town. As the number of students increased,

Photograph 2-3: Kangi-en(Enshirô/Shûfûan)in 1824 the academy stretched to the east side of
Mamekuma Ômichi, even taking over Shûfûan, aretreat built by Tansô’s aunt and uncle. Between
1848 and 1854, the academy g rounds housed
more than 15 buildings of various sizes, including
residences, integrated lecture halls, and dormitories.
The Tôke (East house) side was home to the stillextant Shûfûan(residence) and Enshirô (study),
Tôjuku (dormitory), Kôdô (lecture hall), andShôindô and Baikau(residence,parlor, and study).
The academy head’s residence was demarcated by aplantation of trees from the campus where students
studied and resided; it occupied approximately onethird of the entire Tôke side.
The Seike (West house) side was the site ofKôhanrô and Seijuku, which were erected when theacademy opened; the new two-story Nanjuku andNanrô dormitory buildings were built in 1847. Seike
served as the home of the head’s successor; the head
student and academy accountant resided in Seijuku.

① Shûfûan (residence)② Enshirô (study)③ Idoyakata (simple roofed building built around a well)④ Bunko (library) site

Tôke side⑤ Bath and toilet building⑦ (East house)⑥ Shôindô and Baikau site (residence, parlor, and study)⑦ Tôjuku (dormitory) site

Seike side
(West house)

②
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Original building
Restored building
Underground archaeological remains
Designated area of government-designated Historic Site
050m

Diagram 2-3: Designated site area of Kangi-en, and its key component elements

2 Description of the property5(4) Mameda-machi (Mameda-machi Town)

Photograph 2-4: Mameda-machi

The history of Mameda-machi dates back to 1601,
when Maruyama Castle was established on the northbank of the Kagetsu River by Ogawa Mitsuuji,a magistrate for the shogunate; he founded the
Maruyama-machi market town on the south bank of
the same river.
When Ishikawa Tadafusa was compulsorily
relocated to Hita in 1616, he renamed Maruyamamachi Town as “Nagayama-machi Town” andincreased its size. In 1639, the shogunate assumed
direct control of Nagayama-machi Town, andestablished a magistrate’s office (Hita Oyakusho)
there; the town was renamed “Mameda-machi.” In
1682, Matsudaira Naonori was appointed lord of
the reestablished Hita Domain; however, in 1686
the region once again fell under the control of the

shogunate; in 1767, the magistrate of Hita waspromoted to the position of saigokusuji gundai(intendant of the West).
Hita was a base of shogunate control, and Mamedamachi merchants such as the Hirose, the Kusano,and the Chihara families grew rich as purveyors
to the lords of Kyûshû. The culture of haikai, apopular form of linked verse, flourished, helping to
attract people of culture to the city. The people ofMameda-machi studied at Seishôsya and Keirin-en,
the predecessors to Kangi-en, and helped with therunning of these academies. Students from otherdomains stayed at Chôfuku-ji temple’s student
dormitories or at the houses of the townsfolk. In
time, Mameda-machi became a college town thatcoexisted symbiotically with Kangi-en.
Today, Mameda-machi still retains its orderly
town planning, and in 2004 it was designated an
Important Preservation District for Groups of
Traditional Buildings by the Japanese government.
Indeed, many buildings that were used during theearly modern period survive today, including Hirose
Tansô’s former residence; the Kusano and Chiharafamily residences, which turned out numerous
pupils; the for mer Teshima family residence,
which contributed to the early administration of
the academy; the Main Hall of the Chôfuku-ji
temple, where Tansô opened his first academy; andtenarai juku (terakoya [private elementary schools])
Sansendô, where students learned to write.
① Seishôsya site
② Keirin-en site
③ The Hirose family residence④ Chôfuku-ji temple student dormitory site⑨

⑤ The Kusano family residence●⑥ The former Chihara family residence⑦ The former Teshima family residence⑧ Sansendô⑨ Nagayamajô (Nagayama Castle) site
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Mameda-machi Town, Hita City: Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Building
Hita City landscape plan,” important townscape planning areas of Mameda (26.2 hectares)
Designated area of government-designated Historic Site
Important cultural property(Kangi-en)
0

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200m

Diagram 2-4: Map showing locations of Kangien and Mameda-machi

6

2 Description of the property

(5) Kôdôkan (Kôdôkan School)
In the 19th century, Tokugawa Nariaki, ninth lordof Mito Domain, enacted a series of governmental
reforms to alleviate the tense state of affairs bothinternal and external. As part of these reforms, headvocated the development of talented personnel,
and he built the Kôdôkan domain school as a place
to educate his retainers and their children. Kôdôkan
provisionally opened in 1841, and opened fully in1857. In 1843, Nariaki established the Edo Kôdôkan
inside the Mito clan’s residence in Edo Koishikawa.
In 1838, before its provisional opening, Nariaki
set down the school’s philosophy of study in the
Kôdôkan-ki (Kôdôkan records). The document
outlines the concepts the school was to adopt,
key among them “the harmony of scholarshipand martial arts,” “the harmony of Shintô and
Confucianism,” and “the harmony of study andbusiness.” Kôdôkan’s stated goal was students’acquisition of learning and martial arts that would
be of practical benefit to the government and society.
The school occupied some 10.5 hectares(approximately 105,000 m2) in the outermost regionof Mito Castle, making it the largest domain schoolin the country (the government-designated Special
Historic Site today covers an area of 3.4 hectares).
The Kôdôkan-ki advocated respect for practicallearning and, as such, students had the opportunity
to study wide-ranging subjects; in addition to the
traditional study of Confucianism and martial
arts, students could receive instruction in Western
medicine, pharmacology, and astronomy. In thisrespect, it was akin to a present-day university.
The layout of Kôdôkan reflected its philosophyof study. At the center of the school grounds stood
Hakkedô, which housed the Kôdôkanki-hi—a stonemonument on which the Kôdôkan-ki was inscribed.
Kôshibyô, where Confucius was venerated, andKashima Jinja, a shrine dedicated to the gods ofmilitary arts, were positioned next to Hakkedô, their

Photograph 2-5: Kôdôkan (Aerial image)near-juxtaposition embodying the concept of “theharmony of Shintô and Confucianism.”Bunkan (the hall of the literary arts) and its related
facilities stood to the north of the Seimon gate,while Bukan (the hall of the martial arts) stood tothe south. These buildings lay either side of Seichô,
the school palace, and their position manifested theconcept of “the harmony of scholarship and martial
arts.”
Many buildings including Bunkan and Bukan
burned down during a battle in 1868; in 1945, airraids on Mito led to the destruction of Hakkedô,
Kôshibyô (Confucian shrine), and Kashima Jinja.
Nevertheless, a number of structures survive today,
such as the Seimon gate,Seichô,Shizendô (nobilityhall), Koshibyo Gekimon gate, and Bansho buildings;
and stone monuments including Kôdôkankihi, Kanameishikahi (spiritual stone monument
inscribed with a poem), and Shubaiki-hi (plumtree monument), which were inscribed by Nariaki
himself.
Hakkedô and Koshibyo were restored following thewar; after the ceremonial rebuilding of the shrine
at Ise Jingu, Kazahi-no-minomiya—an auxiliary
shrine inside the precincts of the inner shrine—was
relocated to Kashima Jinja.

① Seichô (school palace)

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③ Seimon gate

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⑤ Kôshibyô (Confucian shrine), Kôshibyô Gekimon gate

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⑥ Kanameishikahi (spiritual stone monument inscribed with a poem)⑦ Taishijô (area for martial arts training)

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⑧ Bansho buildings

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⑩ Kokurô Station⑪ Kashima Jinja shrine

8⑨ Shubaiki-hi (plum tree monument)

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Original building
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Designated area of government-designated Special Historic Site

③ ⑧
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Diagram 2-5: Designated site area of Kôdôkan, and its key component elements

2 Description of the property7(6) Kairaku-en (Kairaku-en Garden)

Photograph 2-6: Kairaku-en Garden (front gate)

To k u g aw a N a r i a k i d e s i g n e d K a i r a k u - e n t ocomplement Kôdôkan; in 1842, the year after
Kôdôkan was completed, the garden was built
and opened on expansive g rounds measuring
approximately 18 hectares (180,000 m2), in a scenic
area by the shores of Lake Senba.
In 1836, Nariaki completed his draft of Kairakuenki, which detailed his design philosophy forthe garden; in 1839, this was inscribed on a stonemonument—the Kairaku-enki-hi. T he name
“Kairaku-en” originates from the philosophy Nariaki
set down in Kairaku-enki, namely that it be “a placethat commoners of the domain can also enjoy,” andthe garden was later opened to commoners of thedomain.
Nariaki planted plum trees (Kôbun; the Japaneseplum), a symbol of learning, both to provide visitorswith pleasure and to encourage them to study. The

Kairaku-enki-hi bears the phrase “Icchô Isshi,”which means “tension and relaxation,” and clearly
expressed Nariaki’s intentions that Kôdôkan would
be a place of study—or “tension”—and Kairakuen a place of relaxation, and that each would
complement the other.
Visitors to the garden enter from the Omotemon(front gate), pass the Ichinokido door and throughthe big cedar forest; they then arrive at a raised
plateau, which overlooks a grove of plum trees thatstretches out in every direction. Kôbuntei was built
at the southern extremity of the plateau to takeadvantage of the natural beauty of Lake Senba; theSakurayama area and Maruyama area, which extend
to the west of the main garden area, were also
greatly admired.
In 1873, approximately 3.6 hectares (36,300 m2)of the plum tree grove to the east of the garden
were set aside for the construction of Tokiwa Jinja,
a shrine dedicated to Mitsukuni and Nariaki; theremaining 14 hectares or so was transformed into
Tokiwa Kôen, a public park. Although the park was
renamed Kairaku-en Kôen in 1931, the park is listed
as a cultural asset by the Japanese government under
its former name of Tokiwa Kôen.
Kôbuntei and Okugoten burned down in the air
raids of 1945, but were restored in 1958; Okugoten
burned down a second time in 1969 after being
struck by lightning, and was again restored.
The design of the garden remains intact even today;
together with Kenroku-en in Kanazawa City, andKôraku-en in Okayama City, Kairaku-en is famed as
one of Japan’s three great gardens.

① Omotemon gate(front gate)⑤⑨(Sakurayama area)(Maruyama area)② Kairaku-enki-hi①⑪⑫③ Kôbuntei
⑩

⑥
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(Main garden area)④ Okugoten⑤ Ichinokido door
⑥ Nakanomon gate(inside gate)⑦ Shibasakimon gate(lawn-front gate)⑧ Kunugimon gate(Kunugi gate)⑨ Togyokusen (natural spring)⑩ Grove of plum trees⑪ Môsô bamboo forest

Original building
Restored building
Designated area of government-designated Special Historic Site

⑫ Big cedar forest

Diagram 2-6: Designated site area of Kairaku-en, and its key component elements

8

2 Description of the property

2.2 A history of education in Japan(1) Antiquity and the Middle Ages (7th to 15th
centuries)
The earliest educational systems in Japan developedaround ritsuryô-sei, a political system introduced
from China in the 7th century. The Daigaku-ryô
university was established in Kyôto, the country’s
political center, while educational facilities fortraining magistrates known as kokugaku were
established in provincial areas.
Texts brought to Japan from China and the Korean
Peninsula were written in Chinese; a translation
method called kundoku was therefore invented,
which entailed reading Chinese scripts according
to Japanese grammatical rules. In the 9th century,
the invention of syllabic “kana” symbols made it
possible to represent Chinese texts in both Chinesecharacters and kana.
In China, schools were differentiated according
both to the social standing of their students and to
the subjects they taught; in Japan, in addition to the
Daigaku-ryô and the kokugaku, Buddhist schools
such as the Shugeishuchi-in also existed. In China,
civil service examinations played a major role inrecruiting talented human resources from all strata
of society; in Japan, no imperial examination system
took root. As the ritsuryô-sei system fell into decline,
the Daigaku-ryô and kokugaku ceased to function
and, for this reason, different types of schools
and a different learning environment developedin Japan, compared to other countries in the East
Asian cultural sphere such as China, the Koreas, andVietnam.
At the start of the Middle Ages, education revolved
around temples and the families of nobles andsamurai. It was around this time that moves toacquire books became conspicuous—in the second
half of the 13th century, for example, Hôjô Sanetoki,a senior statesman of the Kamakura shogunate,established the Kanesawa Bunko library to house his
own collection of texts. In the 15th century, Uesugi
Norizane, kantô kanrei (shôgun’s deputy) for the
Muromachi shogunate, donated numerous Chinese
texts to Ashikaga Gakkô.
This period also saw the spread of Zen Buddhism
to Japan from China, a development that was
supported by the ruling class. Zen Buddhism had
deep connections not only to Zen studies but also to
the Cheng-Zhu school of neo-Confucianism and, forthis reason, it promoted the spread of the ChengZhu school across Japan.
(2) The early modern perioda) Early modern society and the roots of educational
heritage (early to mid-16th century)
Starting in the mid-15th century, Japan entered astate of civil war that lasted more than 100 years.
Kyôto became a battlefield; nobles and intellectuals

fled, taking with them g reat scholarship andknowledge to the provinces.
During this Warring States period, the task of
education was left to institutions that provided
asylum, such as temples and Ashikaga Gakkô. The
Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier noted that “inaddition to the university in the capital, there are
five famous schools.” Four were located on Mount
Kôyasan, on Mount Hieizan, in Negoro-ji temple,
and in Miidera temple in Ômi Province; yet the most
famous and the largest was Ashikaga Gakkô in the
Bandô (present-day Kantô) region, and this had “byfar the most students.”
Temples provided instruction in both Buddhism
and Confucianism, while Ashikaga Gakkô taught
a wide range of subjects, including Confucianism,
divination, military science, and medicine. The
arrival of Christianity in the mid-16th century
led to the establishment across Japan of schoolsthat taught reading, writing, and other forms ofelementary education; seminaries were built in Arimaand Azuchi, and a college for the development ofchurchmen was founded in Funai in Bungo Province.
When Christianity was prohibited, these theologicalschools disappeared; the influence of leading temples
also waned as a result of the war. However, a societywide interest in and admiration for learning led
both to a rapid increase in the number of schools inJapan, and to their subsequent development; this, inturn, further strengthened the appetite for educationin early modern Japan. Ashikaga Gakkô played a
key role in communicating the scholastic traditionsof the past to the early modern period, and becamea cornerstone of the educational heritage of earlymodern Japan.
b) The development of educational heritage in earlymodern Japan (mid-16th to mid-19th centuries)
After the civil war ended, Japan entered a period ofpeace commonly called “Taihei no Miyo.” Samurai
were judged on their ability to administrate rather
than to fight, and town and village commoners were
tasked with self-governance. Widespread knowledge
and literacy became a requisite for people from allwalks of life, leading to an increased desire for study.
Tenarai juku (terakoya [private elementary schools])
were established in the three largest cities of Edo,
Kyôto, and Ôsaka, in castle towns and towns built
around domain administrative centers, as well as
in villages; they taught reading, writing, and theabacus, and prompted a nationwide increase in rates
of literacy.
Early modern Japan was a class-based society, butthere were examples of individual talent leading toelevated rank and class: low-ranking samurai would
fill important central and provincial government
posts, for example, while farmers and merchants
might be promoted to the state of samurai. Nor

2 Description of the property

9

was it unusual for people from the lower classes tobecome scholars and intellectuals, merchants withgreat wealth, or people of culture capable of creating
outstanding artworks; indeed, these were the people
that fashioned the new cultures of the Edo period.
Such a state of affairs would not have been possible
if educational opportunities had not been available
to people from all classes.
Learning in early modern Japan centered on
Confucianism. Various schools of thought emerged,
including the Cheng-Zhu school, the Yangming
school, the Sorai school, and the Secchû school.
However, in 1790, Matsudaira Sadanobu, an elder ofthe shogunate, decreed that the Neo-Confucianismof Zhu Xi should be the official subject of study(seigaku) at Shogunate schools; this encouraged thestudy of the Cheng-Zhu school of neo-Confucianism
across the country.
When Tokugawa Yoshimune, eighth shogun of theTokugawa shogunate, relaxed import restrictions on
Chinese translations of non-Christian Western texts,
it led to the birth of a field known as “rangaku” (later“yôgaku,” or “the study of the West”) The middle ofthe early modern period also saw the emergence of“kokugaku” (“national studies”), which took as its
focus Japanese classics and histories written before
the arrival of Confucianism and Buddhism.
Publishing companies were founded in major cities
such as Kyoto, Ôsaka, and Edo and printed large
numbers of books. Classical literature, elementary
education textbooks, Chinese texts printed inJapan—as well as Japanese commentaries on them—came to be used as school texts, and contributed
to the popularization of education across different
regions and different classes. In 1722, the shogunate
published Rikuyu Engi Taii (Interpretations of the
Rikuyu) to promote morality, and the text was used
to teach commoners in tenarai juku (terakoya [private
elementary schools]) nationwide.
In this way, an appetite for learning swept throughsociety, and educational institutions were establishedby both public and private entities.
c) Types of educational properties in early modern
Japan
Educational properties in early modern Japan can be
categorized according to the following five types:(a) Kanritsu (shogunate) schools(b) Hankô (domain schools)(c) Gôkô (Gôgaku [local schools])(d) Shijuku (private academies) and Tenarai juku
(terakoya [private elementary schools])(e) Other (properties that supported early modern
schools)(a) Kanritsu (shogunate) schools
T h e Ne o - Co n f u c i a n s c h o l a r H aya s h i Ra za nestablished a kajuku—a private academy run fromhis own home; in 1691, his grandson Hayashi Hôkô
relocated both the Seidô (Confucian Shrine) andthe kajuku to Yushima, where it was renamed“Shôheikô” (“shogunate-sponsored Confucian
academy”). Ashikaga Gakkô was protected by the
shogunate in the early modern period and was, defacto a kanritsu school.
In 1797, the shogunate appropriated the Hayashi
kajuku and Seidô, and established the Shôheizaka
Gakumonjo (Shôheizaka place of learning) intheir place. In addition to shogunate retainers, theretainers of domain lords, provincial retainers, andRônin were permitted to attend. The school and also
carried out educational activities for commoners.
Several other Kanritsu schools were established on
shogunate lands, while “Wagaku Kôdansho” werecreated for researching and teaching kokugaku. Fromthe late Edo period onward, “Bansho wage goyô”
were created for the translation of Western texts, aswere other facilities for studying Western medicine,
martial arts, and technical arts.
(b) Hankô (Domain schools)
Domains established hankô to develop talented
human resources. Hankô were built in Okayama
Domain and Aizu Domain in the middle of the 17th
century; in the early 18th century, schools were also
opened in other domains, such as Meirinkan in Hagi
Domain in 1719, and Yôkendô in Sendai Domain in
1736.
Thereafter, more and more hankô were built andexpanded. They came to assume university-like roles,
teaching subjects ranging from practical learningand yôgaku (Western studies) to martial arts. Notablehankô built between the late18th century and the19th century include Meirindô in Owari Domain in
1783; Chidôkan in Shônai Domain in 1805; Kôdôkanin Mito Domain in 1841; and Bunbu Gakkô in
Matsushiro Domain in 1855.
Kôdôkan had the largest grounds of any domain
school in Japan; its facilities, organizations,and systems were codified, and influenced theadministration of hankô in other domains. Including
those that were renamed, divided, or merged, a totalof 750 hankô were established in Japan.

Photograph 2-7
Shônai Domain school Chidôkan

10

2 Description of the property

(c) Gôkô (Gôgaku [local schools])
Lords established some gôkô for their retainers andthe people who populated their territories; othergôkô were opened by private volunteers. Schools
established by lords were typically for family
members and important retainers. A notable example
of such a school is Yûbikan, which was establishedby Date Kuninao, 10th head of the Iwadeyama-Dateclan, a branch of the Sendai Domain’s Date clan; hetransformed the retreat of Date Munetoshi, second
head of the Date clan, into a school for his family’schildren in the middle of the 19th century. A notable
example of a gôkô for commoners is Shizutani
Gakkô, one of the components of our proposal.
With regard to privately founded gôkô, a primeexample is Gansuidô; this school was built in 1717
by the circle of Tsuchihashi Tomonao, a man of
influence in the Hiranogô region of Settsu Province(in present-day Ôsaka Prefecture).
There were also examples of public-private
collaborations. In 1726, Kaitokudô, a school
established by wealthy Ôsaka merchants, wasdesignated a government-licensed educational
institution by the shogunate. The Confucian scholar
Kan Chazan established a private academy called
Kôyôsekiyôsonsha in the Kannabe region of Bingo
Province, in present-day Hiroshima Prefecture;
in time, it became a gôkô of Fukuyama Domain,
and was renamed Renjuku. Many gôkô wereopened across Japan; however, Shizutani Gakkô isremarkable for its scale—with its vast Kôdô (lecturehall) and Seibyô (Confucian shrine), it was equal insize to the hankô found in the largest domains.

Photograph 2-8: Renjuku(d) Shijuku (private academies) and Tenarai juku
(Terakoya [private elementary schools])
The early modern period gave rise to many scholars
from merchant families or lower ranking samuraifamilies who established shijuku and tenarai juku
(terakoya). Tenarai juku (terakoya) used Teikin Ôraiand Jitsugokyô as instructional materials, and taught
reading, writing, and the abacus, as well as social
etiquette. It is difficult to make a clear distinction
between private academies and private elementary

schools; generally speaking, however, students at
private academies received higher-level instruction.
Representative examples of shijuku from the startof the early modern period include Nakae Tôju’s
Tôju Shoin, which opened in 1638, and Ito Jinsai’s
Kogidô, which opened in 1662. In the middle ofthe early modern period, a number of academies
began to teach kokugaku, or “national studies,”
such as Suzunoya, which was established by Motoori
Norinaga in 1758.
Private academies opened in the 19th century
include Hirose Tansô’s Kangi-en, one of thecomponents of this proposal. During the same
period, Fujisawa Tôgai founded Hakuen Shoin, andIkeda Sôan established Seikei Shoin. Examples of
shijuku providing instruction in yôgaku, or Westernstudies, include Philipp Franz Balthasar vonSiebold’s Narutakijuku, and Ogata Kôan’s Tekijuku.
The Nihon Kyôikushi shiryô (Materials concerning
the history of education in Japan), published in
1890, lists the existence of 1,493 private academies;
however, twice or more that number are thought tohave actually existed.
(e) Other (Properties that supported early modern
schools)
Kangi-en welcomed large numbers of students fromacross Japan; several houses in the neighboring townof Mameda-machi provided private lodgings forthem. Mameda-machi functioned as a college town,with students toing and froing between the town andthe academy.
According to the concept of “Icchô Isshi” (“tension
and relaxation”), Tokugawa Nariaki, ninth lord of
Mito Domain, established Kôdôkan as a place ofstudy and Kairaku-en as a place of culture. It is no
exaggeration to say that Kôdôkan and Kairaku-en
together form a single educational property.
(3) The modern period (the second half of the 19th
century onwards)
Both the people educated in the early modern period
and the existence of schools at the time made themodern-period education system possible, and even
Japan’s rapid transition to modernization.
The Meiji government utilized the sites andbuildings of many early modern schools as public
educational institutions for schools of modern
education. For this reason, many school facilities
even now are located on the sites of former schoolsof the early modern period. In addition, manyof the hired teachers had studied at shijuku(private academies) or hankô (domain schools) andwere competent in advanced teaching materials.
Furthermore, many of the founders and teachers ofprivate technical schools were graduates of hankô.

2 Description of the property

11

3

Justification for inscription

3.1 Criteria under which inscription is proposed(and justification for inscription under thesecriteria)(1) Type of heritage, according to the World Heritage
Convention
The proposed serial property is a “monument,”“group of buildings,” and “site” according to
Article 1 of the World Heritage Convention, andparagraph 45 of the Operational Guidelines for the
Implementation of the World Heritage Convention(hereinafter “Operational Guidelines”). In addition,
the proposed assets are “linked” as defined byparagraph 137 a) of the Operational Guidelines:“component parts should reflect cultural … links
over time.”
In line with the Criteria for the assessment of
Outstanding Universal Value, detailed in paragraph
77 (iii) of the Operational Guidelines, the property
bears “a unique or at least exceptional testimony toa cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living
or which has disappeared.”(2) Education for all classes, an invaluable resourcein the pre-modern world
The various components that constitute thisnominated property are places of learning for allclasses—an invaluable resource in the pre-modern
world. The properties developed according to three
key characteristics listed below.
First, they were basically established as placesof independent learning for people from different
classes, of different ages, and from different regions.
Early modern Japan was a class-based society,yet opportunities for learning were available tothose who desired them. At some schools, people
from different classes even sat side by side in theclassroom.
At Ashikaga Gakkô, no restrictions were placed
upon the class or age of its students; the academy’s
reputation spread across Japan, and it attracted
large numbers of students. Shizutani Gakkô wasestablished for the education of commoners, yet it
also admitted samurai and commoners from otherregions; people from the common classes wereappointed to administer the school and teach there.
Kangi-en established the Sandatsuhô system thatwelcomed students regardless of their social status,
age, or educational background, and attracted
many students from across the country. Kôdôkan
implemented a system of scholastic merit, regardlessof the social standing of its samurai students.
Through their fields of study, students at theseschools interacted with intellectuals from otherregions, and so contributed to the sharing of wideranging knowledge.
Second, the nominated property establishedenvironments and facilities aimed at realizing study

12

3 Justification for inscription

in diverse fields, from Chinese studies to national
studies and Western studies. Over time, institutions
emerged that incorporated instruction and ideologies
that were not focused on Confucianism.
Ashikaga Gakkô was established in the Middle
Ages, and Taiseiden, a hall where Confucius was
venerated, was established at the entrance of theroad that passed in front of its Nyûtokumon, Gakkômon, and Kyôdanmon gates (photograph 3-1). It
also owned a vast collection of Chinese texts for use
in studying Chinese classics (photograph 3-2).
Shizutani Gakkô was home both to a Seibyô(Confucian shrine) where Confucius was venerated,
and to Hôretsushi (present-day Shizutani Jinja
shrine), where Ikeda Mitsumasa, first lord of
Okayama Domain, was enshrined. Hiyokeyama(“fire prevention mountain”) was built to protect
the lecture halls and libraries from fire. The libraries
chiefly housed classical Chinese texts; however, as theacademy expanded the range of disciplines it taught,
it acquired an increasing number of Japanese texts.
Instruction at Kangi-en centered on the idea thatpractical discipline would be beneficial in everyday
life; to this end, it offered instruction that was
tailored to individual students. The scope of the

Photograph 3-1: Ashikaga Gakkô’s Gakkômon gate in
the foreground, and Taiseiden (Kôshidô: Confucian shrine)in the backgroundacademy’s activities extended to Mameda-machi, asa college town that supported the academy. Hirose’s
home and the homes of other Mameda-machi
merchants were repositories of large numbers oftexts related to the liberal arts and to education.
By juxtaposing the Confucian Kôshibyô and the
Shintô Kashima Jinja shrine, the layout of Kôdôkan
reflected its philosophy of study, namely “theharmony of Shintô and Confucianism” (photograph3-3). Bukan (the hall of the martial arts) and Bunkan
Photograph 3-4: The tranquil, wooden Kôdô (lecture hall)at Shizutani Gakkô

Photograph 3-2: Classical Chinese texts used at Ashikaga Gakkôallowed them to cater flexibly to various formsof study and teaching, while ensuring a peacefulatmosphere. Shoin (study halls), kyôjô (classrooms),
and dôjô (training halls) were also built depending on
the purpose of study. Students at these components
were therefore equipped to engage in various formsof learning according to their capabilities andinterests, and had access to an abundance of texts.
Third, these places of learning were designed tocoexist both with nature and with local communities.
Ashikaga Gakkô was established in Ashikaga-no-shô,in present-day Ashikaga City, where the Ashikagaclan that established the Muromachi shogunate
originated. The academy was designed in harmony
with its natural environment: the Shoin and gardens,
for example, were positioned to the south and northof the Hôjô such that the garden with its landscaped
hills and ponds could be viewd.
Shizutani Gakkô was located away from the bustleof the castle town; it was built in a quiet mountainvalley well suited to study (photograph 3-5).

Photograph 3-3: The building layout at Kôdôkan reflects thephilosophy of “the harmony of Shintô and Confucianism,” and “theharmony of scholarship and martial arts”(the hall of the literary arts) were respectively
situated south and north of the Seichô school palace;
this layout embodied the Kôdôkan ’s diverse scope of
instruction, which covered both academic scholarshipand martial arts. In addition to classical Chinese
texts, Kôdôkan housed books from various fields,
including mathematics, astronomy, and medicine.
Kôdôkan itself also published texts, further helping
to spread knowledge.
In addition to typical structures such as kôdô
(lecture halls) and shoin (study halls), eachcomponent part had student dormitories, and socovering every aspect of a student’s educational
life. In Mameda-machi, temples and townspeople
supported the activities of Kangi-en by providing
student accommodation.
Kôdô (lecture halls) were typically expansive, flat
halls with no furnishings (photograph 3-4). This

Photograph 3-5: The location of Shizutani Gakkô waschosen so that it would coexist with nature

To secure its financial footing, the academy was
endowed with Shizutani Shindenmura—land whose
produce would provide it with financial security—
on which gakurin and gakuden (school forests andrice paddies) were established. Itamura Shimoi, a“seiden”—or land system—that mimicked the tax
collection system of Zhou dynasty-China, was also
incorporated into the gakuden. In this way, the entire

3 Justification for inscription

13

region collectively supported the school. Independent
places of learning run by local commoners known astenjin-kô were also opened, and coexisted with theschool and the local community.
Hirose Tansô wished to teach and live with his
students in tranquility, and so he established Kangien in the suburbs. In addition to occasional classcancelations, in spring and autumn the school hosted
sankô (mountain outings) in which students went
on excursions to local hills and fields, riversides, andshrines and temples.
Temples and townsfolk in Mameda-machi, a townthat neighbored Kangi-en, provided lodgings to thestudents who had assembled from across the country
to study at the academy; Hirose Tansô himself
also gave lectures in Mameda-machi. Throughits symbiosis with the academy, Mameda-machi
assumed the characteristics of a college town.
Kôdôkan was established on a vast expanse of landin the outermost region of Mito Castle, where several
residences of high-ranked retainers were cleared tomake room for it. The school was integrated with adomain-accredit private academy in the castle town.
Kairaku-en was a place where students could
cultivate their minds and bodies in a naturalenvironment; it was opened to local residents ondays of the month ending in a “3” or “8,” and soenabled commoners studying at local gôkô (gôgaku
[local schools]), shijuku (private academies), andtenarai juku (terakoya [private elementary schools])
to cultivate their minds and bodies as well. Kôdôkan
and Kairaku-en were mutually complementary, andtogether comprised an educational property thatcoexisted with nature and the local community.
(3) The Educational Heritage of Early Modern
Japan: its educational systems and achievements, andits significance to world history
Early modern Japan was a class-based society.
However, opportunities for learning were available topeople from all classes. Students possessed a degreeof independence, and were able to receive instruction
in diverse fields, ranging from rudimentary reading,writing, and the abacus, to sophisticated specialist
knowledge.
Educational institutions focused not only onknowledge and culture, but also on etiquette andsocial norms. Foreigners who visited Japan in theearly modern period spoke highly not only of theliteracy, wide-ranging knowledge, and culture ofJapanese, but also praised the importance theyplaced on etiquette and social norms.
・ Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin, vice admiral of
the Russian navy: “Of all nations under the sun,the Japanese are the most advanced in education.
There is not a single person in Japan who
cannot read or write, or who does not know theircountry’s laws.”

14

3 Justification for inscription

・Marinus Willem de Visser, Dutch Trading Post
clerk: “Japanese pursue knowledge with a passion,and do not know the meaning of tiredness. It is
not unusual for Japanese to come to Nagasaki
from all corners of the country to study under the
Dutch and Chinese.”・Matthew Calbraith Perry, Commander of the East
Indian Squadron of the U.S. Navy: “Education
has spread to all corners of Japan. Japanesewomen … possess as much knowledge as Japanesemen; indeed, they have not only mastereduniquely female accomplishments, but are often
well versed in the unique writing of Japan.”・Albert Berg, German landscape painter: “Whenit comes to reading and writing, national history,
ethics and philosophy, the education of theJapanese youth is carried out with great zeal.
There are educational institutions for all stages oflearning.”
These quotes show the admiration with which
foreign persons knowledgeable about education
viewed the achievements of early modern Japan.
What may be termed the “national character” of
the Japanese people was also cultivated during thisperiod, and has been passed down to the present
day; indeed, this character has had a huge impact on
the development of Japan from the modern period
onward.
Schools in early modern Japan developed leaders
and talented personnel who would go on to takean active role in politics, economics, culture, andeducation. They contributed to the development
and stabilization of society; as society developedand stabilized, so people’s desire for learning further
increased; this led to the establishment of more andmore educational institutions, and the developmentof more future leaders and talented human resources.
In this way, the educational heritage of early modern
Japan resulted in a virtuous circle that was without
parallel anywhere else in the world at that time.
Education in East Asia centered on Confucianism,and Japan was no different in this respect.
Yet education in early modern Japan was notdedicated to the goal of preparing for civil service
examinations, and its places of learning were open to
people from different classes, of different ages, andfrom different regions. The educational heritage thattells the story of education in early modern Japan is
globally outstanding in world history, and it provides
valuable insight into how educational systems
around the world can develop in a sustainable
manner.

3.2 The integrity of the nominated propertyFirst, the nominated proper ty, consisting of
Ashikaga Gakkô, Shizutani Gakkô, Kangi-en and
Mameda-machi, and Kôdôkan and Kairaku-en, isvariously kanritsu (shognate) schools, gôkô (Gôgaku

[local schools]), shijuku (private academies, including
tenarai juku (terakoya [private elementary schools]),
and hankô (domain schools), and thus represent
different types of educational institution from earlymodern Japan.
The components of the nominated heritage include
a school for the children of samurai (Kôdôkan), a
school for commoners (Shizutani Gakkô), and two
academies that admitted students from all social
classes (Ashikaga Gakkô and Kangi-en). Taken asa whole, this group of properties contains all theelements necessary to clearly express the outstanding
universal value of education in early modern Japan.
Kairaku-en was a complementary and integral partof the Kôdôkan educational establishment; likewise,
Mameda-machi provided much-needed support toKangi-en—and these pairings are unique among
similar extant properties in Japan. Each component
is unique both in its type and in its characteristics.
Taken as a whole, this serial property tells the uniquestory of the education of early modern Japan.
Second, the proposed serial property is designatedas Special Historic Sites, Historic Sites, Places of
Scenic Beauty, and Preservation Districts for Groupsof Traditional Buildings, according to Japan’s Law
for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The siteareas of their outstanding universal value are thesame as the site areas of their designation under the
Law; these site areas have been properly selected toinclude all structures necessary to communicate theimportance and characteristics of the properties,
such as buildings and stone monuments.
There are some underground archaeologicalremains within the site areas for which abovegroundstructures no longer remain; their former positionand size have been ascertained via excavations andextant pictorial materials to ensure their integrity.
The impor tant component features of eachcomponent part are properly protected so that they
do not suffer from adverse effects of development
or neglect. Initiatives for the protection andmanagement of these properties have also been
implemented to maintain their integrity.

3.3 Authenticity of the nominated property

The size and divisions of the site areas of thecomponents have been preserved. The main buildings
and structures remain in the same positions of
their original erection or subsequent relocation,and facilities necessary to demonstrate the learning
environments are extant.
Some components comprise buildings that show
evidence of alteration or restoration; throughacademic research, they have been repaired or
restored using original materials and authentic
records, and have been carefully protected in their
original positions as important historical properties.
The policies and philosophies of each component arereflected in texts, stone monuments, scrolls, tablets,
school building names, and school names, and havebeen transmitted with care.
(1) Form and design, materials and substance
Ashikaga Gakkô, Shizutani Gakkô, Kangi-en,
and Kôdôkan and Kairaku-en are monuments;
when repairing structures such as buildings andinscriptions, repairs are carried out using original
materials and authentic records to ensure high levelsof authenticity.
Mameda-machi is a Preservation District forGroups of Traditional Buildings; 174 of its 200
traditional buildings as well as 86 structures and 39
environmental properties are protected properties,
and measures have been established for theirprotection. Each property complies with the Law
for the Protection of Cultural Properties, and isproperly protected.
(2) Use and function
Of the nominated components, Ashikaga Gakkô,
Shizutani Gakkô, Kangi-en, and Kôdôkan have beenused as schools, government buildings, and libraries
from the Meiji era onward. However, preparations
are underway to restore their appearance from theEdo period. Kairaku-en has continued to be used asa place for cultivating the mind and body, and as aplace for relaxation, since the early modern period.
In Mameda-machi, temples that served as terakoya(private elementary schools), or that provided
accommodation to students, still survive, and show
how the town functioned as a college town.
At Ashikaga Gakkô, approximately 17,000 texts
survive; these include four National Treasures, eight
Important Cultural Properties, and a number ofother texts published in the Southern Song China
such as Wen Xuan (Selections of Refined Literature)and I Ching (Book of Changes). These texts continue
to be used today by researchers from Japan and
China.
(3) Location and setting
Ashikaga Gakkô’s location has not changed since
the latter half of the Middle Ages; the locations of
Shizutani Gakkô, Kangi-en and Mameda-machi, andKôdôkan and Kairaku-en have not changed since
their establishment. Many buildings at these sites
have survived intact since their original construction.
For restored buildings, a protective layer has beenlaid on any underground archaeological remains;
they have been faithfully recreated based on a careful
study of old pictures and photographs.
(4) Other internal and external factors
At each component, students read the Analects ofConfucius aloud; traditional events such as Sekiten
at Ashikaga Gakkô and Sekisai at Shizutani Gakkô

3 Justification for inscription

15

universal value of the nominated property, thissection provides a comparison with similar properties
both in Japan and overseas.

are held, and educational initiatives are carried out
with the goal of communicating Confucianism andother fields of study to later generations.
Kôdôkan and Kairaku-en are home to stonemonuments such as Kôdôkanki-hi and Kairaku-enkihi; paintings and calligraphic works by Tokugawa
Nariaki also survive. They demonstrate theeducational concepts and philosophies of the site,and have been carefully passed down to the presentday.
Texts used as teaching materials have also beenpreserved at each component. Kôdôkan still has
texts and materials used for lectures, making it
possible to learn in detail about the content of thelectures that were given there.
Wide-ranging materials have also been preserved
at each component part such as the Hirose Families
Ancient Sages Library in Hirose Museum. These
include diaries written by the heads of Kangi-en;
documents outlining the philosophies of Hirose
Tansô; Kangi-en entry guides and books from
Kangi-en’s collection; and accounting records. They
continue to be used by researchers today.

(1) Comparative analysis with similar propertiesa) Similar properties overseas
There are 1,154 properties inscribed on the World
Heritage List, and 1,720 properties inscribed on theWorld Heritage Tentative List; however, as of August
2021, no listed properties fulfill the definition of“educational heritage” proposed in the introduction
to this document.
We have selected twelve education-related
properties for comparison, based on the similarity of
their characteristics with the nominated property.
Our comparative analysis centers on the three key
characteristics of the nominated property (a), (b),and (c) below.
(a) Educational philosophy: learning for people
from different classes, of different ages, and fromdifferent regions(b) Environment and facilities: instruction in diverse
fields, from Chinese studies to national studies andWestern studies*(c) Location: coexistence both with nature and local
communities*For similar properties overseas, analysis of (b)will focus more generally on “instruction in diverse
fields,” and not the specifics of “from Chinese studies
to national studies and Western studies”

3.4 Comparative analysis

In order to demonstrate the potential outstanding
universal value of the nominated property, thissection provides a comparison with similar properties
both in Japan and overseas.
In order to demonstrate the potential outstanding

Table 3-1: Comparison with educational heritage and education-related heritage overseas
Country

Category

Property nameComparisonabcWorld Heritage List
World Heritage Tentative
List

China

CulturalLushan National Park

△

China

Mixed

Mount Wuyi△

South Korea

CulturalSeowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies

Spain

CulturalUniversity and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares

MexicoCulturalCentral University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de△México (UNAM)

Portugal

CulturalUniversity of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia

Germany

CulturalFrancke Foundation Buildings

Belgium

CulturalLeuven/Louvain, bâtiments universitaires, l'héritage de six siècles au sein ducentre historique

Cuba

CulturalNational Schools of Art, Cubanacán

Sierra Leone

Cultural

Old Fourah Bay College Building

○

Iran

CulturalUniversity of Tehran○

RussiaCulturalAstronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University

△

△

○

△

△
△

△
△

○

△
△

○

△
△
△

〇 – shared characteristic △ – partially shared characteristic

16

3 Justification for inscription

There are three overseas properties in East Asia
particularly worthy of comparison: Lushan National
Park (China); Mount Wuyi (China); and Seowon,
Korean Neo-Confucian Academies (South Korea). Of
these, South Korea’s seowon has features most closely
resembling the nominated heritage. When they werecreated, the Seowon operated as private academies,
engaged in the development of local personnel, andestablished cultural activity networks; in this way,
they shared key characteristic (a) of the nominatedproperty of “learning for people from different
classes, of different ages, and from different regions.”
However, the seowon were inscribed on the World
Heritage List due to their value as institutions forthe study of Neo-Confucianism in Joseon; for thisreason, their outstanding universal value differs fromthe key characteristic (b) of the nominated property,“instruction in diverse fields.”
Furthermore, admittance to the seo won wasover time restricted to the privileged class ofyangban who were studying to take national civil
service examinations. The seowon therefore also
lost commonality of key characteristic (a) of thenominated property of “learning for people fromdifferent classes, of different ages, and from different
regions.” Similar arguments can be made against
Lushan National Park and Mount Wuyi in China.
In countries outside East Asia, some properties
with remarkable cultural value were also used as
educational facilities; however, we were able toidentify no properties from the early modern periodthat demonstrated key characteristic (a) of thenominated property of “learning for people fromdifferent classes, of different ages, and from different
regions.”b) Similar properties in Japan
We i d e n t i f i e d 1 8 p r o p e r t i e s i n Ja p a n w i t hcharacteristics similar to the nominated property;
they have been listed in table 3-2 below. Eight ofthese properties are categorized as “Special Historic
Sites” by the Japanese government, have integrity,
authenticity, and retain original site layouts; they
are listed in table 3-3 below. In the same way as thethree “Similar properties overseas,” we carried out acomparative analysis based on the key characteristicsof the nominated property (a), (b), and (c).

Table 3-2: List of similar properties in Japan
No.

Property name

Type of cultural property

Type ofeducational
institution

Location

1

Former Yûbikan and its Garden

Historic Site, and Place of
Gôkô
Scenic BeautyÔsaki City, Miyagi Prefecture

2

Chidôkan

Historic Site

Hankô

Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture

3

Yushima Seidô

Historic Site

Kanritsu

Bunkyô City, Tôkyô Metropolis

4

Bunbu Gakkô

Historic Site

Hankô

Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture

5

Shintokukan

Historic Site

Hankô

Ina City, Nagano Prefecture

6

Former Sûkôdô

Historic Site

Hankô

Iga City, Mie Prefecture

7

Motoori Norinaga Former Residence
Special Historic Site
and Residence Site

Shijuku

Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture

8

Toyomiyazaki Bunko

Historic Site

Gôkô

Ise City, Mie Prefecture

9

Hayashizaki Bunko

Historic Site

Gôkô

Ise City, Mie Prefecture

10

Tôju Shoin

Historic Site

Shijuku

Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture

11

Itô Jinsai Residence Site and Archive

Historic Site

Shijuku

Kyôto City, Kyôto Prefecture

12

Ogata Kôan Former Residence andHistoric Site
SchoolShijukuÔsaka City, Ôsaka Prefecture

13

Former Okayama Domain Han School Historic Site

Hankô

Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture

14

Renjuku and Sazan Kan For mer
Special Historic Site
Residence

Gôkô

Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture

15

Hagi Domain School Meirinkan

Historic Site

Hankô

Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

16

Shôkasonjuku Academy

World Heritage, Historic Site Shijuku

Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

17

Siebold Residence Site

Historic Site

Shijuku

Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

18

Taku SeibyôHistoric Site

Gôkô

Taku City, Saga Prefecture

3 Justification for inscription

17

Table 3-3: Comparison with similar properties in Japan
No.

Property name1

Former Yûbikan and its Garden

ComparisonaBunbu Gakkô
Shintokukan

4

Motoori Norinaga Former Residence and△Residence Site

5

Hayashizaki Bunko

6

Renjuku and Sazan Kan Former Residence

c

△

△

△

7

Hagi Domain School Meirinkan
Shôkasonjuku Academy

No.

b
○

2
3

8

*Reference: Features of the Educational Heritageof Early Modern Japan

○

△

○

△

△

△

Property name1

Ashikaga Gakkô

2

Shizutani Gakkô3

Kangi-en, Mameda-machi

4

Kôdôkan, Kairaku-en

Comparison
a

b

c

○

△

○

○

△

○

○

△

△

○

○

○

○
○

〇 – shared characteristic △ – partially shared characteristic(2) Conclusion
Education-related properties are inscribed both on
the World Heritage List and the World Heritage
Tentative Lists of various countries; however, inthe majority of cases, the core reasons for theirinscription are not related to their educational
activities, or to the historical significance of suchactivities; rather, they have been inscribed based ona consideration of other cultural values.

The nominated property demonstrates “learning forpeople from different classes, of different ages, andfrom different regions.” Excepting properties thatwere established in the modern period or later, thischaracteristic is exceptionally rare globally. Indeed,
the authors of this document were unable to identify
any properties that demonstrated the disseminationof similarly universal learning across an entire
nation.
Even in Japan, there are no other educational
properties that exhibit all three key characteristics
of “learning for people from different classes,of different ages, and from different regions,”“instr uction in diver se fields, from Chinesestudies to national studies and Western studies,”and “coexistence both with nature and local
communities.” Compared to other similar properties,
the nominated property is also in an exceptionally
good state of preservation.
From the above, it is evident that the nominatedproperly represents and bears exceptional testimony
to the Educational Heritage of Early Modern
Japan—an invaluable heritage in the pre-modern
world.

Photograph 3-6: Former Yûbikan and its Garden

Photograph 3-7: Matsushiro Domain school Bunbu Gakkô

Our analysis indicates that the majority of theabove similar properties had different features andcharacteristics, even if they partially shared someof the three key characteristics (a), (b), and (c). In
contrast, all components of the nominated property
possess at least two of the three key characteristics,
and partially possess the third.
Taken as a whole, the nominated property contains
all the elements necessary to represent the various
established forms of education in early modern
Japan; they are in a good state of preservation, andeven those buildings that have been restored since
the Meiji era onward have been carefully restored
following original designs and in original locations.

18

3 Justification for inscription

4State of conservation and factors affecting the property

4.1 Current state

Some structures at the components have been renovatedor relocated; however, the position and setting of
the key elements—including buildings and stonemonuments—that express each property’s outstanding
universal value are preserved in good condition. For
important component elements that are no longer
extant above-ground, excavations have been carriedout, and it has been ascertained that undergroundarchaeological remains exist.
Building restorations are carried out following
comprehensive discussions based both on excavationsof buried cultural properties and on academic materials
such as pictures and plans from the early modern
period; the restorations are executed by organizations
comprising proper ty owners, academic exper ts,
and administrative staff, who make policy decisions
regarding methods of construction, repairs andpreservation, and environmental maintenance. After
restorations have been completed, these organizations
issue reports detailing the content of the restorations,repairs, and environmental maintenance.
Regular maintenance—including repairs and tree
trimming and cutting—is carried out in order topreserve the original designs of the buildings, andto ensure the external appearances both of thecomponents themselves and of their surroundings
remain unchanged.
From an organizational management perspective,
all possible measures to prevent fire damage havebeen implemented. This includes the installation of
automated fire alarm systems, as well as various typesof fire-extinguishing facilities and lightning-protection
facilities.

4.2 Factors affecting the nominated property

Factors potentially affecting the nominated property
include: threats due to development; environmentalpressures; natural disasters; and impacts of tourism andvisitors.
(1) Threats due to development
The components are designated by the Japanese
government as Special Historic Sites, Historic Sites, a
Place of Scenic Beauty, and a Preservation District forGroups of Traditional Buildings.
The Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties
defines the permissible scales, forms, and constructions
within the designated site area for each property, withregard to various activities, including: building new—or extending or renovating current—structures orbuildings; altering land characteristics; and trimming or
felling trees and other vegetation.
In addition, the City Planning Act, the LandscapeAct, landscape ordinances, and scenic district
ordinances provide regulations and guidance regarding
permissible scales, forms, and constructions regarding
areas surrounding the designated site areas (including
regulations and guidance regarding permissible scales,
forms, and constructions regarding the structures orbuildings).
Going forward, measures such as the establishment of
buffer zones will be deliberated with relevant parties tominimize the threats posed by development.

(2) Environmental pressures
All four municipal governments have enacted basic
environmental ordinances and formulated basic
environmental plans, and issue annual reports regarding
both the state of city-wide environments, and the stateof measures related to environmental protection andenvironmental creation.
With regard to the designated site areas of thecomponents and their surroundings, there have thus far
been no reports of natural environmental phenomena—such as acid rain or other damage caused by air
pollution—that significantly reduce their outstanding
universal value.
Nevertheless, since environmental changes to thecomponents have the potential to cause adverse
effects, all four municipal governments will implement
measures as appropriate.
(3) Natural disasters and risk preparedness
Natural disasters with the potential to negatively
impact the components include typhoons, heavy rains,
earthquakes, and fires resulting from such climatic or
geological events.
With regard to typhoons and heavy rains, thedesignated site areas have been equipped with rainwaterdrainage facilities and lightning protection facilities;
key elements of the components—such as historic
structures and stone monuments—are also regularly
inspected for damage or deterioration, to ensure they do
not lose their original structural strength.
With regard to earthquakes, structures have received
seismic reinforcements, while evacuation drills are
conducted, and evacuation routes and areas verified.
With regard to fires, staff-run fire brigades have beencreated, and fire hydrants, water tanks, water cannons,
drenchers, and fire alarm systems installed. These fireprevention facilities are inspected and patrolled on adaily basis.
Earthquake and heavy rain data from recent years
indicates the need for unprecedented measures; forthis reason, disaster-prevention signs will be installed
to safeguard visitors to the components. In addition,
the four municipal governments are creating hazard
maps and safety management guides, training relevant
parties, and establishing contact networks.
Each municipal government is thereby establishingsystems not only to minimize damage but also torestore components to their original state in the eventof a natural disaster.
(4) Impact of tourism and visitors
The times and extent to which properties are open to
the general public takes into account the necessity ofprotecting their component structures.
Monitoring systems are in place to ensure thatthe impact of tourism and visitors does not reduce
their outstanding universal value; however, since
the possibilities of damage due to malice, mischief,
and theft cannot be entirely eliminated, the various
elements of the properties are fitted with security
cameras and other crime-prevention and security
facilities.
The designated site areas of each component andtheir surrounding areas are appropriately equippedwith facilities deemed necessary for their public use—
including visitor centers, rest areas, car parking,lavatories, notices or publications, and signage.

4 State of conservation and factors affecting the property

19

5

Protection and management of the property

5.1 Protective designation

Key elements of the nominated property have been
designated by the Japanese government as National
Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, Special
Historic Sites, Historic Sites, a Place of Scenic
Beauty, and an Important Preservation District
for Groups of Traditional Buildings, according to
the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties
enacted in 1950. Various protective measures havebeen implemented accordingly.

5.2 Property management plan or other management
system(1) Property management plans
Management plans for the components are outlined
in table 5, below.

Table 5: Protection and utilization plans for components
Property

Plan nameYear

Ashikaga Gakkô “Protection and utilization plan for the Ashikaga Gakkô Historic Site” 2019
Shizutani GakkôKangi-en and
Mameda-machi

Kôdôkan andKairaku-en

Administrative body
Ashikaga City

“Management plan for the former Shizutani Gakkô Special Historic
Site”

2010

Okayama Prefecture“Protection and utilization plan for the Kangi-en Historic Site”(provisional name)Under
preparation

Hita City“Protection plan for the Hita City Mameda-machi Preservation
District for Groups of Traditional Buildings”

2004

Hita City“Protection and utilization plan for the Kôdôkan governmentdesignated Special Historic Site”

2017

Ibaraki Prefecture“Protection and utilization plan for Kairaku-en (Tokiwa Kôen Historic
2007
Site and Place of Scenic Beauty)”

Ibaraki Prefecture(2) Management system
Diagram 5 shows the management system in place
for the proper management, establishment andutilization of the serial property.
Diagram 5: Management system for the Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Reporting

Guidance and advice

Four Prefectures (Ibaraki/Tochigi/Okayama/Ôita)Reporting

Guidance and advice

World Heritage Inscription Council for the Early Modern Japanese Educational Sites
Mayors of the four cities;
Superintendents of municipal Boards of Education;
Chairs of municipal Chambers of Commerce;
Directors of municipal cultural properties divisions;
Academic experts (Expert Committees)

Local residents/
Other parties

Cooperation

20

Secretariat（World Heritage departments of Mito City,Ashikaga City, Bizen
City, Hita City)

5 Protection and management of the property

(3) Expertise, technical capacities, and management
The four prefectures and cities that are home tothe components have allocated experts in thefields of archaeology, history, and architecture,and civil engineers for their proper protection andmanagement. They also carry out wide-ranging
public awareness activities for local residents,
including the provision of technical support, and theprovision of explanations, exhibitions, research, andinvestigations of their respective properties.
These administrative bodies also hold training
courses for local resident volunteer guides, who help
explain the properties to visitors. In this way, local
residents and administrative bodies work together
to increase public awareness of the components, andpromote their protection and management.

5.3 Policies related to the maintenance, public
visits, and use of the properties

The nominated property possesses important
historical significance from both a Japaneseand a global perspective. Proper protection andmaintenance of the properties themselves and of
their surroundings will be carried out in order toensure its outstanding universal value is passed down

to future generations; and it will be actively open to
the public and utilized with the goal of improving
the culture of Japan and the world.
At the same time, by encouraging people the world
over to acquire awareness both of societal norms andof morality, the nominated property will contributeto the formation of personalities that understandand respect diverse cultures.

5.4 Comprehensive management plans and buffer
zones

Comprehensive management plans will be drawn up
with a focus on the following three key areas: 1) the
appropriate scope for buffer zones; 2) ways of dealing
with increased visitor numbers; and 3) protecting
properties from natural disasters and climate change.
Discussions regarding the creation of buffer zones
will take into consideration the guidance and adviceof the Agency for Cultural Affairs and academic
experts. After buffer zones have been finalized, they
will be appropriately administered in line with theLandscape Act and other relevant laws, regulations,and systems, to ensure the components retain theirvalue.

5 Protection and management of the nominated property

21

6

Monitoring

6.1 Key indicators for measuring state of conservation

the management of buffer zones, the opening of theproperties to the public, and their utilization.

Discussions regarding the components and theirbuffer zones will be held with the goal of ensuring
the preservation of their outstanding universal
value, to enhance systems and improve technologies
related to repairs and restoration, maintenance andmanagement, disaster and risk management.
More specifically, these discussions will seek to
identify potential causes of negative impacts on thecomponents, draw up monitoring indicators, andcarry out regular and systematic monitoring, basedon the following three perspectives:
1) Whether the value of the properties, theira u t h e n t i c i t y, a n d t h e i r i n t e g r i t y a r e b e i n gmaintained 2) How hidden threats are affecting theproperties; and 3) Whether initiatives are functioning
properly related to the protection of the properties,

6.2 Administrative arrangements for monitoring
properties
Monitoring activities—including the re gularpublication of reports—will be carried out bymanagement groups administered by the four
prefectural Boards of Education, in line withguidance from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, basedon the system outlined in diagram 5.

6.3 Results of previous reporting exercises

Materials and documents considered necessary formonitoring the components are properly gatheredand stored by the relevant administrative bodies.

Table 6: Materials and documents related to the monitoring of components, from the last 10 years
Name

22

Monitored buildings, etc.

Administrative
body

Year

1

“Preserving the townscape of Mameda-machi,
2005–2009 Report on repairs carried out at theHita-shi Mameda-machi Preservation District forGroups of Traditional Buildings”

Mameda-machi Groups of Traditional
Buildings

Hita City

2012

2“Hirose Tansô Former Residence: the history andachievements of the Hirose family”

Hiroseke, Hiroseke bochi

Hita City

2012

3“Hirose Tansô , Kangi-en, and the Educational
Heritage of Early Modern Japan”

Kangi-en, Hirose Tansô Former Residence
and Grave, Kusano Family Residence,
Chôfuku-ji temple Hondô, Chôfuku-ji
temple student dormitory site, Seishôsya Hita City
site, Keirin-en site, Sansendô, Mamedamachi Groups of Traditional Buildings

2013

4

“Report on Shizutani Gakkô, the home of learning
in Japan: aiming to become a World Heritage”

Entire former Shizutani Gakkô

Bizen City

2015

5

“Protection and management plan for the Hirose
Tansô Former Residence and Grave Historic Site”

Hirose Tansô Former Residence and Grave Hita City

2015

6

“Report on restoring the Kôdôkanki-hi and othermonuments at the former Kôdôkan Special Historic Kôdôkanki-hiSite, following the Great East Japan Earthquake”

Monuments andSites Division,
Agency for
Cultural Affairs

2015

7

“Report on the protection and maintenance of theKangi-en Historic Site”

Hita City

2016

8“Basic maintenance and utilization plans for the
Hirose Tansô Former Residence and Grave Historic Hirose Tansô Former Residence and Grave Hiroseke
Site”

2017

9

Kangi-en, Hirose Tansô Former Residence
and Grave Chôfuku-ji temple Hondô,
Chôfuku-ji temple student dormitory site, Hita City
Seishôsya site, Keirin-en site, Sansendô,
Mameda-machi Groups of Traditional
Buildings

2017“The illustrated Kangi-en”

Kangi-enand utilization plans for the former
10 “Protection
Kôdôkan Special Historic Site”

Kôdôkan

IbarakiPrefecture

2017“Report on excavations of lands to the west of
11 the Ashikaga Gakkô Historic Site, Phases One toThree”

Western area of Historic Site

Ashikaga City2017

and utilization plans for the Ashikaga
12 “Protection
Gakkô Historic Site”

Ashikaga Gakkô

Ashikaga City

2019

preservation and maintenance basic plan
13 “Second
for the Ashikaga Gakkô Historic Site”

Ashikaga Gakkô

Ashikaga City

2021

6 Monitoring