Training Course for Researchers in Charge of Cultural Heritage Protection in Asia and Pacific 2014 - Vanuatu -Training Reporton

Cultural Heritage Protection
Training Course for Researchers in Charge of Cultural Heritage Protectionin Asia and Pacific 2014 - Vanuatu 31 July - 21 August, 2014, Nara, Japan

Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office,Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties

Training Reporton

Cultural Heritage Protection
Training Course for Researchers in Charge of Cultural Heritage Protectionin Asia and Pacific 2014 - Vanuatu 31 July - 21 August, 2014, Nara, Japan

Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office,Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties

Edited and Published by
Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office,Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Nara Prefecture Nara General Office Ground Floor
757 Horen-cho, Nara 630-8113 Japan
Tel: +81-(0)742-20-5001
Fax: +81-(0)742-20-5701
e-mail: nara@accu.or.jp
URL: http://www.nara.accu.or.jp
Printed by KyodoseihanⒸ Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office,Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) 2015

Opening Ceremony at ACCU Nara Office

Cultural landscape at Harie, Takashima city

On-site training: Lake Biwa Museum

With the lecturer, Ms Tashiro, at NNRICP

Observing tour in the laboratry of conservation science at NNRICPMr Oda explained about inventry system of archaeological artefacts at NNRICPPractical training of photography at NNRICP

Practical training of photography at Nara Palace Site

Practical training: Indoor session at NNRICPPractical training on management of GPS/GIS data

On-site training: At Kasuga-taisya Shrine, World Heritage Site

Observation of artefacts of Fujinoki Tumulus at Ikaruga Cultural Property Centre

Closing Ceremony at ACCU Nara OfficePreface
The Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO(ACCU Nara) was established in August 1999 with the purpose of serving as a domestic centre
for promoting cooperation in cultural heritage protection in the Asia-Pacific region. Subsequent
to its establishment, our office has been implementing a variety of programmes to help promotecultural heritage protection activities, in close cooperation with the Agency for Cultural Affairs,
Japan (Bunkacho); National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, National Research Institute for Cultural
Properties, Nara; the Nara Prefectural Government; the Nara Municipal Government; universities; andmuseums.
The ACCU Nara’s activities encompass training programmes for the human resources development;international conferences and seminars; the website for the dissemination of information relating tocultural heritage protection; and the world heritage lectures in local high schools. In addition to those,
ACCU Nara offers “Local Training Workshop” which dispatches a group of lecturers from Japan toone of Asia-Pacific countries and implements the practical training on cultural heritage protection onsites. Besides, we annually appoint “International Correspondent” from each country for the purposeof establishing closer ties with the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, who will periodically sendlatest reports on cultural heritage protection in their country.
Our office has been conducting two types of the training course in Nara: for the group and for theindividuals. The Group Training Course offers the opportunity to sixteen experts from Asia-Pacificregion for about one month with two themes in alternate years: “Preservation and Restoration of
Wooden Structures” and “Research, Analysis, and Preservation of Archaeological Sites and Remains.”
Meanwhile, the Individual Training Course is organised for a few experts from one country on thespecific theme according to their requests.
The Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation comprised of more than 80 small and large volcanicislands and atolls. There is an urgent need to implement a range of measures for protection as well
as gaining an understanding of the actual situation of cultural heritages because it is prone to natural
disasters including earthquakes.
Under these circumstances, mapping of cultural heritage with GPS/GIS has been conducted in Vanuatu,
and the upcoming tasks, such as the management of data, acquirement of knowledge and practicaltechniques for legislative preparations toward the protection of cultural heritage, and development of
human resources concerning the project, have been addressed as the urgent priorities.

Based on this current situation in Vanuatu and in response to a request from the government of
Vanuatu, ACCU Nara Office has decided to invite officials with a purpose of providing the broad
knowledge and practical techniques of research, documentation, management and utilisation.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan (Bunkacho);
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties; Lake Biwa Museum; Takashima Municipal
Board of Education; Tezukayama University; Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education; Kobe Municipal
Board of Education; National Museum of Ethnology; Ikaruga Town Board of Education for theircooperation and support.

NISHIMURA Yasushi
Director
Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office,Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)Contents		PrefaceI.

Introduction
1. General Information… ………………………………………………

3

2. Programme Schedule…………………………………………………

6

II.

Summary of Training Course… ……………………………………

9

III.

Country Reports by Participants… ……………………………… 23

IV.

Final Reports by Participants… …………………………………… 35

V.

Appendix
1. List of Participants…………………………………………………… 51
2. List of Lecturers and Interpreter… ………………………………… 52
3. Staff Members, ACCU Nara Office………………………………… 54

Introduction

I. Introduction
1. General Information
2. Programme Schedule

Five stories pagoda at Kofuku-ji Temple

1. General Information
Training Course on Cultural Heritage Protectionin Asia and the Pacific 2014 - Vanuatu (31 July – 21 August 2014, Nara)―Research, Preservation, Maintenance and Utilisation ofArchaeological Sites and Remains―

1. Organisers
The course is jointly organised by Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan (Bunkacho); Asia-Pacific Cultural
Centre for UNESCO (ACCU); and National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Nara National ResearchInstitute for Cultural Properties.

2. BackgroundThe cultural heritages in Oceania have not been fully recognised due to their geographical conditions
as island countries dispersed in the Pacific Ocean, and moreover, the human resource for protection
and investigation are still under development. The number of the cultural heritages that were inscribedon a World Heritage list in Oceania is small compare with other regions. Only four cultural heritages
in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Marshal Islands and Fiji were registered. Chief Roi Mata’s
Domain in Vanuatu is one of the few archaeological sites where detailed excavation and research was
conducted in Oceania.
The Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation comprised of more than 80 small and large volcanicislands and atolls. The main island is Efate where the capital Port Vila is located. There is an urgent
need to implement a range of measures for protection as well as gaining an understanding of the actual
situation of cultural heritages because it is prone to natural disasters including earthquakes.
Under these circumstances, mapping of cultural heritage with GPS/GIS has been conducted in Vanuatu,
and the upcoming tasks, such as the management of data, acquirement of knowledge and practicaltechniques for legislative preparations toward the protection of cultural heritage, and development of
human resources concerning the project, have been addressed as the urgent priorities.
Based on this current situation in Vanuatu and in response to a request from the government of
Vanuatu, ACCU Nara Office has decided to invite officials with a purpose of providing the broad
knowledge and practical techniques of research, documentation, management and utilisation.

3. Date and Venues
Date: 31 July (Thur.) to 21 August (Thur.) 2014. [22 days]
Venues: Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO(ACCU); Facilities and museums of cooperating organisations.

34. Objective of the Training Course
This individual training course aims at providing participants with the broad knowledge and practicaltechniques concerning to measures for research and documentation (survey, actual measurement,
photography etc.), management and utilisation.

5. Training Curriculum- Conservation of Cultural Landscape and its Protection System- Risk Management of Cultural Heritage (earthquake and natural disaster)- Exhibition Method and Utilisation- Recording/Documentation of Site
- Management and Utilisation of GPS/GIS Data etc.

6. ParticipantsRichard Matanik Lore (Mr)
Chairperson, Lelema World Heritage Committee, Vanuatu Cultural Centre
Date of Birth: 14 February 1962 (Age 52)
Richard Japuneyo Shinji (Mr)Archaeologist, Vanuatu National Register, Vanuatu Cultural Centre
Date of Birth: 29 September 1977 (Age 36)

7. Process of Invitation
The Republic of Vanuatu recommended two applicants suitable for the above mentioned invitation
programme as participants. Then ACCU Nara Office has determined to invite two applicants asparticipants through close examination.

8. Others (Past achievement to accept participants)
Since 2000 when the above-mentioned invitation programme started, 52 participants from 17 countries
have been accepted.

9. Certificate
Each participant will be awarded a certificate upon the completion of the course.

10. Language
English is the main working language of the course.

11. Expenses
Expenses for the training course will be borne by ACCU Nara Office and comprise the following:(1) Travel expenses:
Each participant will be provided an economy-class return air ticket between the international airport
nearest to their residence and Kansai International Airport (KIX), and domestic transportation costs

4between KIX and their accommodations in Nara.
(2) Living expenses:
Participants shall be provided the basic living expenses incurred from the day before the training
course to the next day of the final day, 30 July (Wednesday) to 22 August (Friday) 2014 in principle.
Arrangements and payment for accommodations will be made by ACCU Nara Office. Also, theaccommodation expenses on the way to and/or from Japan will be covered by ACCU Nara Office.

12. Secretariat
Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office,Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Nara Pref. Nara General Office757 Horen-cho, Nara 630-8113 Japan
Tel: +81-742-20-5001 Fax: +81-742-20-5701
e-mail: nara@accu.or.jp

5

2. Schedule
Individual Training Course Schedule 2014 (31July - 21 August)
Date
July

31 Thu.

1

9:00-12:00

13:00-16:00
13:30 Opening Ceremony
Orientation to the ProgrammeFri. World Heritage: Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

Lecturer

Venue

ACCU Nara

ACCU Nara

ACCU Nara

Todai-ji Temple,
Kasuga-taisha Shrine
and Koufuku-ji
Temple, etc. in Nara

2 Sat.
3 Sun.
MORIKAWA Minoru
Excavation and/ OSAWA Syogo /Resarch Site
NIWA Takafumi
TASHIRO Akiko /ODA Yuki /SHODA Shinya /5 Tue. Arrangement and Management System of Artefacts
YAMAMOTONNRICP
Yoshitaka /KAWAHATA Jun /TAMURA Tomomi
HIRASAWA
Outline of Conservation of Cultural Landscape and its Protection
Tsuyoshi /NNRICP
6 Wed.
SystemEDANI Hiroko
Takashima City,
A Study Tour: Conservation of Cultural Landscape and its Protection
YAMAMOTO Akiko
7 Thu.
Shiga Prefecture
System in Practice I
A Study Tour: Conservation of Cultural Landscape and its
HASHIMOTO
Lake Biwa Museum
8 Fri. Protection System in Practice II
Michinori(Exhibition Method)
9 Sat.
10 Sun.
11 Mon. Management and Utilisation of GPS/GIS Data I
UNO Takao
ACCU Nara
12 Tue. Management and Utilisation of GPS/GIS Data II
UNO Takao
ACCU Nara
13 Wed. Cultural Heritage Management in Practice
ISHIMURA Tomo
NNRICP
14 Thu. Management of Photographic Data I
NAKAMURA Ichiro
NNRICP
15 Fri. Management of Photographic Data II
NAKAMURA Ichiro
NNRICP
16 Sat.
National Museum of
17 Sun. Management and Storage System for Folklore Material
KUBO Masatoshi
Ethnology
Preservation Districts
MURAKAMI
Risk Management for Cultural Heritage (Disaster Management
for Groups of
18 Mon.
Yasumichi /System)Historic Buildings,
TOYOSHIMA Junko
Kobe City
Horyu-ji Temple/
World Heritage: Buddhist
Fujinoki Tumulus/
19 Tue. Site Museum in Practice
ARAKI Koji
Ikaruga Cultural
Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
Property Centre
20 Wed. Writing Final Report
ACCU Nara
ACCU Nara
21 Thu. Submission of Final Report / Closing Ceremony
ACCU Nara
ACCU Nara
4 Mon.

Recording/Documentation and Survey Method of ArchaeologicalRemains

AugustACCU Nara: Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCONNRICP: Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties

6

At Nara Place Site with a lecturer

Summary ofTraining Course

II. Summary of Training Course

Summary of Training Course
31 July (Thur.)■ Opening Ceremony/Orientation to the programme-The Opening Ceremony was held at the ACCU Nara Office. Following the welcome speech by the
Director of ACCU Nara Office and self-introductions by the staff members of ACCU Nara Office, theparticipants introduced themselves.
-Mr Matanik stated in his address that, since he has heard that Japan is a friendly country, he is very
glad to have been invited to the training. Additionally, Mr Shinji stated that he has engaged insafeguarding the cultural heritage for over 14 years.
-The ACCU staff explained the contents of the training curriculum, cultural properties of Nara,
cultural-property administration in Japan, precautions during the training period, etc.

Message from Director of ACCU Nara Ofiice

Orientation at ACCU Nara Office

1 August (Fri.)■ World Heritage: Historic Monuments of Ancient NaraNISHIMURA Yasushi (ACCU Nara Office)-To begin with, the participants looked out from the rooftop of the Nara prefectural office building
over the vista of Todai-ji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, etc.. To the west, they viewed the Suzaku Gateand the Imperial Audience Hall which have been restored at the Nara Palace Site.
-At the Great South Gate of Todai-ji Temple, an ACCU staff briefed the participants on the repair
and dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) of the Nio-zo statues. In addition, at the Daibutsu-den
Hall, the participants heard explanations of air pollution, using as examples a bronze lantern and theornamental railing tops located under the stairs.
-In the afternoon, the participants moved towards Kasuga-taisya Shrine. There, we happened acrossa Gon-negi (lit. deputy of lower-rank priest) explaining the Kasuga-taisya Shrine to visitors, so we
asked the priest to join us, and toured the shrine together. Following this tour, we passed through thefirst torii gate and moved towards the precincts of Kofuku-ji Temple. At this temple, the participants

9At Todai-ji Temple

At Kasuga-taisya Shrine

observed the on-going restoration of the temple buildings/cathedrals; and viewed various Buddha
statues in the National Treasure Museum.
4 August (Mon.)■ Recording/Documentation and Survey Method of Archaeological Remains
MORIKAWA Minoru, OSAWA Syogo and NIWA Takafumi (Nara National Research Institutefor Cultural Properties, hereinafter “NNRICP”)-On the way to Asuka, the participants visited the Kurozuka Tumulus (Yanagimoto town, Tenri city),
an example of the management/utilisation of national historic sites, to observe how the tumulus ismaintained/utilised.
-The participants toured the Imperial Audience Hall Site of the Fujiwara Palace, after listening to an
explanation from a lecturer at the NNRICP Fujiwara Palace Site reference room with regard to thehistorical materials, including earthenware and roof tiles, as well as the Fujiwara Palace itself, which
provide a dating benchmark to the 7th century.

Mr Morikawa lectured at Amakashi-no-oka Site.

10

Mr Niwa explained at Asuka Historical Museum

-At the Amakashi-no-oka site, the participants were briefed on the Amakashi-no-oka Toroku site
presumed to be the site of the residence of the Soga clan; after which, they climbed to the hilltop tounderstand the locational relation and spatial expansion between the Fujiwara Palace and Asuka.
-The Mizuochi site is thought to be a “Rokoku-dai” (ancient water clock using siphon effect), and theparticipants observed the maintenance skills for presentations on a unique underground structure ofthis site.
-After a briefing on the Asuka period while observing the permanent exhibit of the Asuka HistoricalMuseum, the participants saw the exhibition of the restored cloister of Yamada-dera Temple.
Following this, they visited the actual Yamada-dera Temple, and witnessed the state of the wellmaintained site following the excavation.
5 August (Tue.)■ Arrangement and Management System of Artefacts
TASHIRO Akiko, ODA Yuki, SHODA Shinya, YAMAMOTO Yoshitaka, KAWAHATA Jun and
TAMURA Tomomi (NNRICP)-To start, lecturers provided a briefing on the functions of each division of the NNRICP. Following

Mr Yamamoto lectured the storage processes

A lecture by Mr Oda

At the storage room of roof tile

A lecture on X ray radiography by Ms Tamura

11

this, the participants toured an entire system of storage processes from cleaning materials unearthedat an excavation site to recording and storing them.
-In addition, at the Conservation Science Section, the participants listened to an explanation about
scientific analytical instruments including X-ray radiography, etc.; following this, they observed awooden artefact storage system that utilises polyethylene glycol and a vacuum freeze dryer.
-In the afternoon session, entitled “Registration, Custody, and Possession of Artefacts”, the lecturers
started by explaining earthenware storage processes that span cleaning, screening, storage, andcustody.
-In addition, the lecturer added that, although a drawing is created manually, it is subsequently digitally
traced, and registered in the database.
6 August (Wed.)■ Outline of Conservation ofCultural Landscape and its
Protection System
HIRASAWA Tsuyoshi and EDANI
Hiroko (NNRICP)-Before the lecture, the participants
went to greet Mr Matsumura, Director
General of NNRICP. Mr Matsumura
stated in his address that he hopedthat the training program would besatisfying for the participants.
-The lecture began with a detailed
explanation of the Japanese cultural

With Director General of NNRICP

landscape, especially with respect
to the framework of the culturallandscape system. Following this, thelecturer, Mr Hirasawa, introduced the“cultural landscape of Takashima city”
where participants were scheduled tovisit the next day for on-site training.
The lecturer also explained the process
f r om pr e-landsca pe re gistra tion
activities to post-landscape registration
activities including the major componentsof cultural landscapes, efforts made by
local residents, etc.

12

A lecture by Mr Hirasawa and Ms Edani at NNRICP

7 August (Thur.)■ A Study Tour: Conservation of Cultural Landscape and its Protection System in
Practice I
YAMAMOTO Akiko (Takashima Municipal Board of Education)-On the way to Takashima city, Shiga prefecture, the participants visited Shirahige shinto shrine (where
the main hall is designated as an Important Cultural Property). In the afternoon, the lecturer, Ms
Yamamoto (Takashima Municipal Board of Education), began to explain two areas in Takashima city
registered as government-designated important cultural landscapes. The lecturer told of the processes
through which they had studied about the conservation of the target landscapes by organising study
meetings to overcome such problems as how the merits of the areas can be bequeathed, how theadministration should support landscape conservation projects, etc.
-Following this lecture, the participants moved to the “Harie area”, where local volunteers acted
as guides. The lecturer explained “Kabata (lit. riverside)”, a waterside with spring water, andits structure as one feature of the important cultural landscapes of this area, as well as how local
residents have been involved with such landscapes in order to maintain them and pass them down.

A lecture by Ms Yamamoto

Observing tour of cultural landscape at Takashima city

At Kabata13

8 August (Fri.)■ A Study Tour: Conservation of Cultural Landscape and its Protection System in
Practice II
HASHIMOTO Michinori (Lake Biwa Museum)-Mr Hashimoto, the lecturer, explained about the Lake Biwa Museum; its concept, exhibition methods,
and the technologies which were cutting edge when the museum opened, etc. According to thelecturer, for a short while after it opened, the museum adopted a method of exhibition which allowed
visitors to touch the exhibits with curators providing explanations in the exhibition rooms, but, suchmethods are no longer used due to budget constraints.
-Meanwhile, at the restoration exhibition hall for “Kabata”, the major component of the culturallandscapes of Takashima city, the lecturer explained how to dismantle and exhibit historic structures.

A lecture by Mr Hashimoto

Observation in the Lake Biwa Museum

14

11 August (Mon.)■ Management and Utilisation of GPS/GIS Data I
UNO Takao (Tezukayama University)-After installing a free piece of GIS software (QGIS) into each participant’s computer the lecturer, Mr
Uno, introduced a number of case examples of GIS-based data use including the plotting of photodata, GIS line data, etc. The participants subsequently practiced this kind of plotting by using the
installed QGIS software.
-First of all, to create a base map, a piece of GDIM software was downloaded into each participant’s
computers in order to create a map of Vanuatu. Then colour correction and some other effects wereapplied to the map by using the QGIS software. Thus, the base map was completed.
-At the following lecture, “Creating archaeological data with location information”, the participantsreceived hands-on training for QGIS-based plotting by downloading Handy GPS software, and byusing the data thus created by the software.
-The lecturer then introduced GIS application examples and a virtual museum.
12 August (Tue.)■ Management and Utilisation of GPS/GIS Data II
UNO Takao (Tezukayama University)-The participants practiced importing GPS data (paper based) of Vanuatu and adding it to QGIS as
location information. Subsequently, they converted the PDF data to Excel data, overlaid the GPS dataon the map, and displayed the site drawing data on their computer screen.
-In the afternoon, the participants practiced importing photo data and adding it to QGIS. Following
this, they watched a demonstration of a 3D scanner. Finally, the lecturer introduced various examples
of applications and advantages of 3D data.

The Prticipants practiced making Vanuatu map by using
QGIS software.

Mr Uno explained how to use potable GIS apparatus.

15

13 August (Wed.)■ Cultural Heritage Management in Practice
ISHIMURA Tomo (NNRICP)-The lecturer, Mr Ishimura, discussed the existing conditions of cultural heritage management in theSouth Pacific nations. He explained about the relationship between cultural heritage management andlocal communities by citing the Nan Madol site of Micronesia; and about sustainable development,
referring to a case study of Fiji.
-With regard to the example of Micronesia above, the lecturer introduced a way to aim at world
heritage inscription by involving local residents from the initial stage, upon acquiring their consensus.
He also commented that although the Nan Madol site has been inscribed in the Tentative List ofWorld Heritage Sites, there remain ongoing problems in management, etc. that must be solved.
-In addition, the lecturer discussed two additional examples in Fiji related to the relationship between
sustainable development and communities, commenting that; (i) to each different problem lying
in sustainable development and communities, it is necessary to apply solutions appropriate toeach of them; and, (ii) for proper maintenance/management of a cultural heritage site, not only the
relationship with local residents needs to be taken into consideration, but also the balance with socialand economic aspects.

A lecture by Mr Ishimura at NNRICP

14 August (Thur.)■ Management of Photographic Data I
NAKAMURA Ichiro (NNRICP)-To start, the lecturer, Mr Nakamura, explained the necessity and significance of photo-recording ofarchaeological sites and remains, etc., as well as a methodology used to record them. The lecturer
then introduced a method to record as much data as possible by using a large format camera, atechnique to photograph a building structure without distortion, and how to take overhead shots froma high vantage point.
-In the afternoon, the participants undertook practical training for photographing artefacts by using

16

artificial lights. The lecturer provided detailed explanations on lighting for recording artefacts
precisely.
15 August (Fri.)■ Management of Photographic Data II
NAKAMURA Ichiro (NNRICP)-In the morning, the participants practiced outdoor photography. They took photos of the reconstructed
Imperial Audience Hall and the fully improved/maintained Second Imperial Audience Hall site. In
the afternoon, the participants imported the data they thus obtained into their computers, and printed
it out using image processing software.
-The lecturer instructed them in a colour tone correction method based on the grey scale that theparticipants then overlaid onto images using a computer.

Practical training on photography (indoor session) by Mr Nakamura at NNRICP

A lecture on mechanism of camera

Photographic training for the tiny artefacts

1717 August (Sun.)■ Management and Storage System for Folklore Material
KUBO Masatoshi (National Museum of Ethnology)-In the morning lecture, the lecturer, Mr Kubo, provided a brief introduction to the National Museumof Ethnology including the definitions of ethnology, types of stored folkloric materials, storage
systems, etc.
-In the afternoon, the lecturer discussed the handling of folkloric materials and the problems involved
with materials storage. Following this, a participant presented about the problems of and efforts
towards preserving cultural heritage of Vanuatu; then, the participants and the lecturer exchanged
their opinions through a frank discussion. The lecturer commented that an extremely wide variety of
the Vanuatuan culture in practice may be thought as world culture in microcosm.

A lecture by Mr Kubo

Observation in National Museum of Ethnology

18 August (Mon.)■ Risk Management for Cultural Heritage (Disaster Management System)
MURAKAMI Yasumichi (Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education) and TOYOSHIMA Junko(Kobe Municipal Board of Education)-In the morning, following the participant’s self-introductions, the lecturer Mr Murakami, briefly
explained about the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake. Based on his experiences of the earthquake,the lecturer outlined what and how research and preparation should be undertaken prior to or during
a disaster. Furthermore, based on examples, the lecturer talked about emotional distress suffered by
victims during and after the earthquake, roles to be played by cultural properties against such distress,and how the approaches to a range of problems that arose during the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake
were improved following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
-In the afternoon, the participants visited “Weather Cook House” and “Moegi House”, disaster-stricken
cultural properties of traditional western-style buildings in the Kitano Traditional Architectures
Preservation District, and observed post-disaster resforation skills/techniques.

18A lecture at Moegi House (left: outside, right: inside)

19 August (Tue.)■ Site Museum in Practice / World Heritage : Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
ARAKI Koji (Ikaruga Town Board of Education)-At the Ikaruga Cultural Properties Centre, after watching an explanation video for the Fujinoki
Tumulus, the participants had a lecture about the artefacts unearthed at the tumulus, focusing on aharness at the exhibition hall.
-In front of an explanation board installed in the improved environment of the Fujinoki Tumulus, thelecturer explained about pre-research status, research processes, and the current improved status.

Explanation by a local guide at Horyu-ji Temple

With a lecturer at Fujinoki Tumulus(second from the left)

19In addition, the lecturer further explained that opening the stone chamber’s interior to the public islimited to twice a year, taking into consideration the deterioration/discoloration of the red (vermilion)
pigment painted on the stone coffin located in the chamber.
-In the afternoon, the participants, led by a local guide, toured the precincts of Horyu-ji Temple in
the following order: (i) the Great South Gate, (ii) the Middle Gate, (iii) Saiendo Hall, and, (iv) Saiin
Garan (lit. western-precinct buildings including the five-stories pagoda, main hall, and the great
lecture hall. At the Daihozo-in (lit. great treasure gallery), the guide explained the exhibits displayedin this gallery, including Buddha statues etc. Finally, the participants visited the Yumedono hall (lit.
hall of dreams) in the Toin Garan (lit. eastern-precinct buildings).
20 August (Wed.)■ Writing Final Report-The participants prepared the reports of their training programme.
21 August (Thur.)■ Submission of Final Report / Closing Ceremony-The closing ceremony for the training was held at 10:30 am following submission of the participants’
final reports. After the address by the Director of ACCU Nara Office, the participants were eachawarded certificates to mark the completion of their training.
-The participants expressed their gratitude for the wonderful experiences they had had, and spoke of
their aspirations upon their return home to build foundations to safeguard the Vanuatuan cultural
heritage, and further develop the heritage, based on the knowledge and experiences they obtained
through the training.

Closing Ceremony at ACCU Nara Office20With lecturers and a Interpreter at Moegi House in Kobe city

Country Reports
by Participants

III. Country Reports by Participants

Richard Matanik Lore
Chairperson
Lelema World Heritage Committee
Vanuatu Cultural Centre

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain World Heritage Area
Present Situation and Needs for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Vanuatu
Introduction:
Chief Roi Mata’s Domain (CRMD) was inscribed on the
UNESCO World Heritage List on July 8th 2008, at the32nd
session of the World Heritage Committee in Quebec
City, Canada. It is the first and only World Heritage area
in Vanuatu, and one of only about a dozen in the PacificIslands region.
CRMD was inscribed as a Continuing Cultural Landscape,which is a landscape that combines the works of bothnature and humankind, where the traditional way of life isstill relevant to contemporary social life.

Location:
CRMD is located in north western Efate, which is about a half hour drive from Vanuatu’s capital city,
Port Vila.
The World Heritage area includes three core site areas: one on the island of Efate, another on Lelepa
Island, and the whole of Artok Island.
The core site areas are surrounded by a Buffer Zone, which, likethe World Heritage area, has a set of management guidelinesthat aim to protect CRMD.

23

Background:
The World Heritage area celebrates the life of Chief Roi Mata, aparamount Chief from about 400 years ago, who is famous for bringing
peace to the island of Efate and surrounding islands after a period of
warfare.
The local community still follows the rules of Chief Roi Mata, whichplay an important role in their daily life, particularly with regard to
kinship structures and social relationships.

Present situation: For cultural heritage preservation
CRMD is managed by the Lelema World Heritage Committee (LWHC), who oversee a number ofactivities, projects and subcommittees including: the Roi Mata Cultural Tours; Longoro, the CRMD
Park Rangers; Tupirou Committee, the planners of the proposed Nataeana Centre Project; Craft
Revitalisation Project; Nuae Water Project; Land Use Planning Project; Governance Project; and theLelepa Language Project.

The Vanuatu Cultural Centre is the focal point for World
Heritage in Vanuatu, and plays a significant role insupporting the LWHC.

There are three core area sites at CRMD:
Mangaas on the island of Efate was the residence of Chief
Roi Mata. Today, visitors to the site can walk through an ancient rainforest, which includes a large
banyan tree that was Roi Mata’s meeting place, and see sacred stones and remains of rock walls.
Fels Cave on Lelepa Island is where Roi Mata is said to have died. It is a large cave where rock art in
the interior of the cave depicts images from the time of Roi Mata.
Artok Island is a mass burial site where it is said Chief Roi Mata was buried along with about 300
of his followers. Visitors to the island can see Roi Mata’s gravestone along with some of those of his
followers.

Needs: For cultural heritage preservation
Site maintenance: Ongoing maintenance of the three core area sites of the World Heritage area willassist in the preservation of cultural heritage at CRMD.
At Mangaas, the coconuts need to be regularly removed from the palm trees to prevent injury to24

tourists from falling coconuts, and the pathways through the ancient rainforest require ongoing
maintenance.
At Fels Cave, the steep pathway and rope handrail leading to the cave must be maintained, andwindblown rubbish must be removed from the site.
On Artok Island, the gravesite must be swept on a regular basis, and any rubbish that has washedashore must be removed.

Economic sustainability:
It is a significant task to maintain a World Heritage area, andthe management body for CRMD requires funds to ensurethat the World Heritage area is maintained sufficiently for thearea to retain its World Heritage listing.
The Roi Mata Cultural Tour was established in 2006. This
tour now provides a sustainable income to the LWHC, which
supports the management initiatives of the World Heritage
area. Funds raised from the tour go towards paying the
LWHC a minimal allowance, the marketing costs for the tour
and ongoing maintenance costs for the World Heritage area;
however, any profit left over from the tour is put towards
community benefit. The tour generates income for thosemembers of the community who work as part of the tour.
The LWHC are currently looking to establish better
infrastructure for day and overnight tourists as part of the Nataeana Centre project, which will include
a Training Centre and Training Bungalow. It is hoped that this project will generate more income
for the region and encourage the Indigenous landowning community to establish their own tourism
businesses.

25

The LWHC are also planning for the first Roi Mata Cultural Festival in 2015, which will commemorate
the World Heritage listing, provide another income stream to support the management of CRMD,
generate income for members of the local community and provide tourists with an authentic cultural
heritage festival near Port Vila.

Cultural revitalisation:
As CRMD is a Continuing Cultural Landscape, it is importantthat the community maintains the kastom (traditional)
practices and beliefs that are central to the World Heritage
area listing. We need to ensure that our children are taught theways of Roi Mata, and that the cultural practices that include
singing, dancing, cooking and craft making are passed on to
the next generation. The LWHC are also trying to revitalisecertain kastom practices that are fading, such as building
techniques and the local language.

Ongoing education:
It is important for the managers of the World Heritage area to be up-to-date with current thinking
around World Heritage and landscape preservation issues. Continuing education is provided throughworkshops and conferences in Port Vila, as well as some International conferences and events. We
hope to establish the Nataeana Centre near the World Heritage area to provide space for continuing
education to the broader community in the areas of sustainable resource management, sustainable
tourism and cultural revitalisation.

Encouraging appropriate development:
To ensure that CRMD maintains its significance, the Buffer Zone to the World Heritage area must not
be developed in a way that would detract from the values of CRMD. One of the main objectives ofpromoting tourism in the area is to encourage landowners to use their land to set up businesses as analternative to selling off their land to foreign investors, who are more likely to develop the land in amanner that disrupts the Cultural Landscape.

26

Teaching respect for World Heritage:
Another task for the LWHC is to educate tourists and the
local community about the importance of World Heritageand how to respect the values of CRMD. Educating about
the impact on the World Heritage area of such practices asinappropriate rubbish disposal, graffiti, over-fishing, tree andsand removal, coral reef destruction, inappropriate building
techniques and disrespectful cultural behaviour, is an ongoingtask for the LWHC.

Legal protection for World Heritage:
The Vanuatu Government has recently passed a new lawthat provides better protection to World Heritage areas in
Vanuatu. Under this new law, state land may be acquired asa World Heritage Site, after which, the land cannot be leased
and it must be managed by the kastom owners in accordancewith the rules of kastom. We are currently going throughthe process of acquiring Artok Island under this new law, toensure that it is protected against inappropriate development.

Conclusion:
The integrated approach to World Heritage management at
CRMD, which includes environmental protection, economic
sustainability, teaching and continuing education, culturalrevitalisation, and ongoing maintenance, will ensure that thecultural heritage of the region will be preserved for future
generations.
Psawi (“Thank you” in the Lelepa Language)

27

Richard Japuneyo Shinji
Archaeologist
Vanuatu National Register
Vanuatu Cultural Centre

Present Situation and Needs for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Vanuatu
Background information
Vanuatu is an archipelago comprising 83 islands. With 112 languages, Vanuatu is considered to be
the country with the highest density of languages per capita in the world, an average of about 2,000
speakers per language. When we take into account thefact that a language may be shared between more than
one cultural group, it is also safe to say that Vanuatu
is one of the most culturally diverse countries in theworld as well. This point needs to be stressed because
when it comes to working on cultural sites in Vanuatu,
every island, and in most cases nearly every second
village, lives in a culture that might be similar to theirneighbours, but is actually unique in its own right.
Figure 1: Old stone fish trap

Thus, when dealing with cultural sites and their preservation, we cannot use the same approach for allof them. Different cultural groups have different ways of life and do things differently. For example,
there are over a hundred styles of houses in the whole of Vanuatu, each using different materials andbuilt in different ways. Similarly, different cultural groups practice different ceremonies, and whilemost do not leave a mark on the landscape, many ceremonial grounds have magnificent constructionsof stone. Also, as another example, some places have no traces of gardening in the past while others
have complex systems of agriculture where the landscape is modified to suit the agricultural systems,
and this is where we find irrigations system engineered to suit their particular climate, vegetation andgeography.

The Vanuatu Cultural Centre fieldworkers
We are very fortunate to have a group of volunteer fieldworkers in nearly all the inhabited islands in
Vanuatu, and they assist us in locating and identifying cultural sites, and also with logistics on the
ground. The Vanuatu Cultural Centre Fieldworkers (or ‘Filwokas’, as they are referred to in Bislama[the most common lingua franca in Vanuatu]) are a group of men and women in the community that
represent their island or cultural group in a network associated with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre (VCC).
Initiated by Kirk Huffman and Peter Crowe in the late 1970s, one of the objectives of the Men’sFieldworkers programme was to assist the VCC in the sourcing and collecting of oral traditions. The
fieldworkers are men and women who are very knowledgeable in the kastom and culture of their area,28and most of them are leaders in their respective communities. They have had annual meetings (The
Vanuatu Fieldworkers Workshop) for over 30 years, where a topic is chosen the previous year so they
can research and then report on it over the course of two weeks. All aspects are discussed, recorded
and stored at the VCC. Full details of a number of workshops have also been published by the VCC (e.g.,
Tryon 1996).
The role of the fieldworkers has developed very positively over the years, with the assistance and cooperation of overseas institutions and agencies. Activities now include the collection and preservationof knowledge of traditional ceremonies, cultural rituals, genealogies and many other cultural practices.
These activities are recorded in the form of written accounts and audio, as well as digital and visualmedia. What began in the 1970s as a men’s-only program included a separate women’s fieldworker
programme from 1989. Separate workshops are held each year comprising an almost equal numberof men and women. They also assist the VCC staff and foreign researchers when conducting researchin the islands, especially with logistics and in
explaining the work that the VCC or researchers
are planning to carry out in the respective
local communities. Fieldworkers also promotecultural festivals and other related activities, andmany have been instrumental in initiating andconducting such activities. It was therefore seen
as an imperative that these same fieldworkers
undergo some form of archaeological training if
Figure 2: Two VCC fieldworkers during anarchaeological training programme

research programmes were to begin again (Bolton
1999).

The Vanuatu Cultural Centre
The VCC, which began as the New Hebrides Cultural
Centre, was set up in 1957 primarily as a museum with arange of artifacts and ornaments from across the islands,
but later in the 1970s it also acted as a liaison point for
researchers who were coming into the country. When the
country gained independence in 1980, the name changed
to the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and it was officially tasked
with the preservation, protection and promotion of kastom
and culture in Vanuatu (Bolton 1999).

Figure 3: Professor Matthew Spriggs
recording rock art in 1978

Pioneering archaeological research began in Vanuatu in the 1960s, with the arrival of Richard andElizabeth Shutler and John Hedrick from the United States, and José Garanger from France. Laterin the 1970s, there was major input from the Australian National University in the form of Les
Groube, Graeme Ward, Matthew Spriggs, Winifred Mumford and Norma McArthur. This pioneering

29

archaeology was undertaken across various parts of the country largely up until independence in 1980
(Bedford 2006).

The Vanuatu Cultural and Historical Sites Survey / Vanuatu National Register
The Vanuatu Cultural and Historical Sites Survey (VCHSS) was set up in 1990 by archaeologists
David Roe and Jean Christophe Galipaud, and a local team, comprising manager Martha Yamsiu, (later
Kaltal) and field officers Peter Kolmas, Ralph Regenvanu, Nicolas Vanusoksok, François Wadra andFidel Yoringmal. The VCHSS was established to create and maintain a database of sites of cultural,archaeological and historical significance (Roe and Galipaud 1994; Roe et al. 1994). Not only did the
VCHSS record these sites but a major component of their mission was to inform and educate people
in the areas they visited on the importance of their cultural, historical and archaeological sites, andwhy and how they should be preserved. After theestablishment of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, andsubsequently the VCHSS, an ever growing numberof people began to understand the importance of
these sites and appreciate their value and relevancein the world today. Through the tireless effortsof those who assisted in the early stages of the
VCHSS, more and more people in Vanuatu becameaware of the issues surrounding these types ofsites. The VCHSS changed its name to the Vanuatu
Figure 4: Stone wall used to protect topsoil from soil
erosionNational Register (VNR) in the mid 2000s,
although its role has essentially remained the same.

Archaeological training workshops
In 1996 an archaeological training workshop was initiated by the VCC at the Mangaasi site, on thewest coast of Efate, in collaboration with Dr. Stuart Bedford and Professor Matthew Spriggs fromthe Australian National University. It was initially designed to train the VCC and VCHSS staff, but
as interest grew, a number of fieldworkers were included. From 1996 to 2003, training workshops
were conducted annually and eventually many of the VCC fieldworkers at that time from all overthe country underwent training on basic archaeologicalexcavation methods and on how to conduct surveys
of cultural sites. Further training workshops involving
fieldworkers, funded by the Sasakawa Pacific Islands
Nations Fund (SPINF), were held on the offshore islandsof Malekula in Northern Vanuatu, namely Uripiv, Uri,
Wala, Atchin, Vao and the Maskelynes Islands, from2001 to 2005 (Bedford et al, 2011).
Fieldworkers from many different islands were involved,
and this was an advantage in that as they returnedto their various islands, they not only assisted in the30

Figure 5: VCC men and women fieldworkers
during archaeological trainingdissemination of information about archaeology, but could also then identify and explain sites in theirarea. An extraordinary example of the benefits of this program is the discovery of the Lapita site atTeouma, where Salkon Yona, a VCC fieldworker from Epi who had been to the training at Mangaasi,
correctly identified a Lapita sherd brought to him by Charlie Nati, a bulldozer driver, and fellow Epi
islander, who was working on the Teouma site removing earth for the development of a prawn farm.
Yona’s enthusiasm and interest led to one of the most important Lapita discoveries in Vanuatu to date.
Prior to, during and after these archaeological training
workshops, excavations were also taking place inother areas and islands in Vanuatu. During these
excavations, cultural and historical sites within the
Figure 6: Lapita pot from the Teouma Lapita site

vicinity would be surveyed.

Present situation
With funding from UNESCO for the World Heritage site
on Efate, the VCC was able to survey all of the culturaland historical sites on the island of Efate. We are now
focusing on three different islands and for different
reasons.

Figure 7: Stone platforms at Ureparapara

In the northern islands of the Banks group, especially on the island of Ureparapara, are high platforms
constructed out of basalt slabs (nowonwon). Built prior to European arrival, these raised stone
platforms were used as foundations for men’s houses (gamal), with smaller ones used as ceremonial
dancing platforms for high-ranking men. These marked the area where people used to conduct gradetaking ceremonies in the past. In collaboration with Yoko Nojima, a Japanese researcher, we are in
the process of surveying these stone structures on Ureparapara and adjacent islands that have similar
structures. We plan to completely survey all the stone structures in these islands during the duration ofthis project.

31

In central Vanuatu, on the island of Malekula, a project
has already been in progress for the last two years to
conduct research on the period of European contact.
Surveys have already been conducted on the southernand northern parts of the island on archaeological,
cultural and historical sites in those areas, but plans are
already in place for us to completely finish surveying all
the cultural and historical sites and survey as many of
Figure 8: Ceremonial grounds with sacredstones planted to mark pig-killing ceremonies

the archaeological sites as we possibly can on Malekula.

In the southern part of Vanuatu on the island of Aneityum, most of the cultural and historical sites
were surveyed back in 1978 to 1981 by Professor Mathew Spriggs, but it was not until quite recently
that a Lapita site was discovered under the site of the mission station. Thus, it provided the perfectopportunity to research the initial arrival of humans on the island, the Lapita people, and to also
research one of the first successful mission stations in Melanesia. Archaeological surveys on the site
will continue for some more years and we are planning to complete the surveying of all the othercultural and historical sites that have not yet been surveyed.
So far, we have surveyed less than half of the cultural and historical sites in the country. Because thecountry is quite dispersed in terms of the number of islands and fairly culturally diverse, and due tothe insufficiency of the available human resources,
we have taken quite a long time to get this far insurveying all of our cultural and historical sites. But
we are changing our approach (formally, we would
go to a specific area on an island and solely workon covering the sites in that particular area) andconcentrating only on a few places to fully survey
and document the cultural heritage there.
Figure 9: Traditional taro irrigation on Aneityum

Needs
The Vanuatu Cultural Centre is a small but growing institution, and in terms of surveying, we haveaccomplished a lot already. Documentation of sites and plotting GPS coordinates have been goingon for some time, but there is still a lot of work to do to complete all the sites in Vanuatu. What thetraining could assist us with in this area is to expose us to other methods of field survey that may beeasier or could produce better results in our work. We would also be interested to see the technology
involved in the process of preserving these sites.
What we are interested in is what can be done after a survey is conducted. Some questions have beenraised in Vanuatu concerning cultural/historical sites and tourism. How can we preserve and promote

32them, at a time when many of the younger generation are no longer interested in culture and tradition?
And how can we get people interested in preserving their own culture? How can people economiseon their traditional heritage? We want to look at the area of ‘awareness making’, about the ways andmeans of getting people to be more conscious of the heritage around them.
Japan is known for its reverence and respect shown towards culture and tradition, and I believe that
ultimately, that is what we want to learn from our training: how to respect our heritage in order toprotect it for the generations to come.

References
Arutangae, S. 1987. Vanuatu: Overcoming the colonial legacy. In Crocombe R. (ed) Land tenure in the
Pacific, pp. 261 – 302. Suva: University of the South PacificBedford, S. 2006. Pieces of the Vanuatu Puzzle: Archaeology of the North, South and Centre. Terra
Australia 23, Canberra: Pandanus Press.
Bedford, S., M. Spriggs, R. Regenvanu and S. Yona. 2011. Olfala histri wea i stap andanit long graon:archaeological training workshops in Vanuatu; a profile, the benefits, spin-offs and extraordinary
discoveries. In N. Thieberger and J. Taylor (eds), Working Together: Vanuatu Research Histories,
Collaborations, Projects and Reflections, pp. 191-213. Canberra: ANU E-Press.
Bolton, L. 1999. Introduction. Oceania 70:1-8.
Roe, D. and J-C. Galipaud. 1994. The Vanuatu Cultural and Historic Sites Survey: Project Description,
Evaluation and Recommendations. Final Report. Port Vila: The Vanuatu Cultural and Historic Sites
Survey.
Roe, D., R. Regenvanu, F. Wadra and N. Araho 1994. Working with Cultural Landscapes in Melanesia:
Some problems and approaches in the formulation of Cultural Policies, pp. 115-130. In L. Lindstrom
and G. White (eds), Culture-Kastom-Tradition. Developing Cultural Policy in Melanesia. Suva:
Institute of Pacific Studies, USP.
Shing, R. 2012. Spreading the word: Archaeological Awareness and the wider public in Vanuatu
Tryon, D. (ed.) 1996. Nimangki. Woksop blong ol filwoka blong Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta 1994. Port
Vila: Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta.

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Final Reports
by Participants

IV. Final Reports by ParticipantsWith lecturer and interpreter at the traditional house on display in Lake Biwa Museum

Richard Matanik Lore

Firstly, I would like to thank the organisers of this training for the opportunity to learn so much. In
this report I have included only a few things that I have learned, but we have learned so much morethat will assist us in the better management of Vanuatu’s first World Heritage site, Chief Roi Mata’s
Domain. The report is divided into two parts: (i) what we learned from the Cultural and Heritage sites,and (ii) what equipment we learned how to use.

Cultural and heritage sites – Temples and shrines
Our first visit was to Todai-ji Temple, a World Heritage site at Nara. It was very interesting to see thedifferent kinds of buildings and the construction methods. It was also interesting to learn from the
Director of ACCU, Mr Nishimura Yasushi, how the temple was built and its history. We saw how the
temple was being managed and how the people of Japan respected it, and this is something we would
like to apply when we get back to Vanuatu.
It is very interesting to see that access to historical sites in Nara is free. To walk around, you do nothave to pay any entrance fees. They do, however, have small shops and eating places where income
can be generated in other ways. This is something we could think of using back at home at our World
Heritage Site, Chief Roi Mata’s Domain. The site I manage relies exclusively on the collection of an
entrance fee, which covers the bus ride to the site, a tour of the site, transportation by boat to the othertwo islands inside Chief Roi Mata’s Domain and food afterwards. The idea of setting up other ways ofearning money for the community by having small shops
selling artefacts and food can provide alternate means ofearning an income, which means we can reduce the fee
currently being charged. Usually, women individually sell
their own handicrafts, but now we can collectively set up aplace to sell these items, so that each woman does not haveto be present the whole time tourists are visiting the site,
but can leave them at a certain place for one person to sellthem, and they can come and collect the money afterwards.
Local crafts made by women from Lelepa
Island and Mangaliliu village

This is in line with the idea of a museum which I will
discuss later in this report.

37

Also, when entering the Shinto shrine, which we did
after the visit to the temple, I could sense that there waspower and spirit there. People really respected the shrine
and the trees surrounding it. This type of respect is a bit
lacking at our cultural site and hopefully after talks withthe people in my community, we can respect it again in
the way that people respect their sacred sites in Japan.
Outer gate of Horyu-ji Temple

At Chief Roi Mata’s Domain, most of the site consistsof either dark bush or the sea, except for the area covered by Mangaliliu village and the surrounding
gardens. Most of the bush has remained untouched for a long time, and we have not taken muchinterest or noticed it as being an important part of our lives. We see it all the time and so it is an
ordinary thing to us, and sometimes people cut the bushes and trees without thinking. The people of
Nara look after their forests and make them look so attractive and nice. When they are small, they put
up sticks to protect each tree. When I return home I will try to get the people to be more interested
and respectful of the natural landscape and not cut down trees unnecessarily for no reason. I will try to
educate the people as to the importance of every tree and how they make the place look nice, and thatthey are part of Chief Roi Mata’s Domain, so we should not unnecessarily cut them down. They will
have to understand that it will benefit them in the future if they look after what they have today.
I also see over here how small labels are put on each tree to show people what kind of tree it is.
When I return home I will have our people put labels on trees explaining what the trees are used for
traditionally. This will help in the education of visitors, who will be able to come to the World Heritagesite and not only learn about Chief Roi Mata, but also learn a bit more about the natural vegetation
growing around the site.
I also noticed how people would wash their hands before they went inside, and this also showed signsof respect for the temple. The burning of incense also made them wise.
One other thing I learned over here was that the national government, through the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and local municipalities all assist in funding theircultural sites. When we return home I will try to find ways to get our national government and local
governments to assist in the funding of our cultural sites.

Cultural and heritage sites – Cultural landscapes (Lake Biwa)
On Thursday, 7th August we visited Lake Biwa and a village by the name of Harie, where the people
living there try to maintain how their ancestors used water in the past. They make, use and promote theuse of natural springs for drinking water, and to wash vegetables and their utensils.
On my island we still use water from the stream on the mainland and wells, but people take it for
granted. When I get back I will tell them how fortunate they are to have such a water source so that in
the future we will try to maintain it as best we can and not pollute it.

38

At Lake Biwa Museum I saw how they had built acomplete traditional house inside the museum so thatpeople can come and see how houses were built andused in the area. Back home we have plans to build atraditional village beside the Roi Mata’s Domain so that
visitors can get a glimpse of how people lived in the past.
A house in Harie village, Lake Biwa Museum

The house we visited at Lake Biwa Museum has given
me many good ideas on how we can do this.

Cultural and heritage sites – Archaeological sites (kofun)
We visited a burial mound (kofun) with Mr Shimomura, where they had buried a person with many
mirrors. Beside this site was a museum built to house all these mirrors and other artefacts recoveredfrom the grave during its excavation. The government of Japan saw the importance of this site and set
up the museum to look after the artefacts from the site. The landscape on top of the mound was mostly
natural, but it looked very appealing and had a manmade lake on the side. We learnt that in Japan, theyburied very important people and Emperors in this type of mound and that a large ceremony took place
during the burial. The World Heritage site that I am managing belonged to a great chief, Chief Roi
Mata, and he was also buried with a large ceremony. Many of his people sacrificed themselves to beburied alive with him. His many wives were also buried with him. Many of the people buried with him
wore lots of jewellery made out of pig tusks, trochus shell rings and numerous shell bead necklaces,
and these were later excavated and removed by a French archaeologist by the name of Jose Garanger,
and are still in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. I can relate to the style of burial done in Japan many years
ago because in some way, it is similar to that of Chief Roi Mata’s.
Building a museum beside this cultural site and the use of nature to beautify the site are two things I
am looking forward to developing for the Roi Mata’s Domain when I return home. It is a very goodidea to have a museum near the cultural site because artefacts from the site can be stored near the site
and visitors can visit it and learn more about the importance of the site. It is also important for children
to learn more about their heritage by visiting the museum, so I think
when I go back, I will let my people know about this so we can startworking on plans to build a museum.

Chief Roimata’s grave

39

Apart from the excavation on Artok in 1968, from 1996 to 2003, Dr. Stuart and Professor Matthew
Spriggs, two archaeologists from the Australian National University, led a training exercise totrain Vanuatu Cultural Centre Fieldworkers for 7 years in and around Roi Mata’s village. The two
excavations have uncovered many artefacts that are still sitting in boxes in the Vanuatu Cultural
Centre, and we would like to build a museum to bring these artefacts back to the Roi Mata Domain.
Artefacts coming from this site also include three different types of pottery dating from 2,900 BP to
1,000 BP.
Equipment - GPS/GIS
An interesting piece of equipment that I learned how to use during the training at ACCU Nara is the
GIS (Geographical Information System) taught by Professor Uno Takao, which will be very useful tome when I return home. Back at home I used a GPS that was a little different from the one used here.
The difference was that the GPS that was taught to us over here was much simpler and very easy touse. The way that Mr Uno taught us made it very easy to understand. In Vanuatu I used a GPS but
could only plot sites and did not know much about how it was used. Over here we learned much more,
especially to mark out a boundary using the linear function of the GPS.
When I get to Vanuatu, I will use the skills
taken here to properly mark out the culturalsites as indicated above. These sites have beenmarked out but some of them were done on aboat so they are not very accurate, and when
we put them on a GIS map, they appear in
the sea. Also, with the skills learned to make
Panoramic view taken during training

a linear map, I will be able to mark out theboundary as above so that we will be able tohave a proper map of the boundary.

Equipment - Camera and photography
At the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural
Properties, Mr Nakamura gave a two day lecture onwhat cameras are and how to use them. At that time
we learned some background on the different typesof good cameras, how to shoot different angles andhow to arrange the lighting so that the pictures wetake will be of good quality. We also learned how
to store the photos properly and how to play aroundwith the photos on a computer to make them better.
I have used cameras in Vanuatu, but the results
Practicing using a good camera

40

were not too good. This training has helped meunderstand what a good camera can do to a photo to make it more appealing. It has also enabled me tohave a better understanding of simple techniques that can make a photo better. When I get back, I will
try to obtain a good camera and take more and better photos to promote our World Heritage site andupdate the photos on our website on a regular basis.

Conclusion
I learnt a lot during this very educational and informative training, which will be very useful for me
when I return home. I am very glad that the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO included us inthis training, and I am sure that the new knowledge I gathered in and around Nara will be very useful
to me and to my management team when I return home.
Psawi (thank you)41

Richard Japuneyo Shinji

Cultural landscapes and cultural sites, and structural plan
Initially we were told how cultural landscapes are managed and administered in Japan. In Japan,
cultural properties are managed according to their importance. If they are of national interest, such as
World Heritage sites and sites categorised as ‘Special Historic Sites, then the National Government
oversees the administration and management of the sites. If the site is not of international or nationalsignificance but is significant and important to more than one city in a prefecture, then it comes under
the administration and management of the prefectural government; and if it is important to a particular
city, then the city council looks after it
In Vanuatu, one institution administers and manages all of the affairs of all the cultural sites. It would
be more efficient if Vanuatu took a similar approach to that of Japan, where a structure is set in placethat designates the administration of the site according to its level of importance. This is due to thefact that even though all sites are important, theirsphere of importance differs. This depends a lot on
the sphere of influence of the site and how many
people view it as important. Also, the rarity andcommonality of the site will influence whether
the site will be of local, national or international
importance (and hence could be added to the World
Heritage List). It will enable easier and more
Excavation of Roi mata’s village in 1999

efficient management and administration of ourcultural, historical and archaeological sites.

We have also observed that the production of written materials for cultural sites can assist in raisingawareness of the site and people can become more aware of the importance of the site. Where there isa lack of information on a particular cultural site, the general public can easily forget the importance ofthe site.
Due to the work of the early churches in their attempt to eradicate the customs and culture of Vanuatu,
many people are no longer attached to their cultural sites as their ancestors were, and do not see theimportance in preserving them. Many cultural sites have been destroyed through neglect or humaninduced activities, and the historical sites are even viewed as European entities and thus are not looked
after. One of the ways we can stimulate their interest in the importance of these sites is to document
them in a way that enables the people to once again see their importance, and so encourage them tostart looking after them properly again.
It is my belief that the stories and oral traditions associated with the land determine its importance tothe people of that place, and that a cultural site is evidence of a society’s attachment to the land. Over42

the decades and generations, people have been detached from the land and the culture that dwells
within. Though the Vanuatu Cultural Centre has been producing numerous materials over the years topromote our culture and the importance of our cultural sites (in general), there is not much work being
done to promote the individual cultural sites. A thought that emerged during the training was to focus
on a few cultural sites that have the potential to become sites of national heritage, and use them as
examples to produce materials in the form of booklets, posters and short videos, and to create websites
for them. To further promote our cultural sites, we have to start concentrating on promoting just a few
initially (due to our economic limitations and lack of adequate manpower) so that others can see thepositive feedback attained, in the form of more visitors to the sites and providing more income for the
locals within the vicinity, in order for them to see the importance of protecting and promoting theirown cultural sites.
By doing so, eventually our government may see the importance of this and participate more in thisendeavour. In the future, it will take a strong government commitment to ensure the further protectionof our cultural landscapes; however, to ensure this occurs, there is a need to show the government that
it would be economically beneficial for the country as a whole.
In addition to creating more adequate materials promoting these sites, the construction of small
museums located beside cultural, historical and archaeological sites, as evident at nearly all important
cultural sites in and around Nara, can further assist in:I.

providing a means for people residing within the vicinity, especially children andyouths, to gain more knowledge on the cultural, historical or archaeological site intheir area, through displaying information, stories and data about the site and thesurrounding area;II.

providing a means for people in the area to have access to a little extra income fromvisitors to the site and the museum seeking more information;

III.

storing and displaying the artefacts, narrations and accounts from the site.

Museum - Exhibitions
During the course of the training, numerous visits were made to the museum in and around the area.
Though we saw and learnt about many wonderful exhibits, only a few points will be noted in thisreport. When artefacts are displayed in a good way, it has a good flow that can provide the visitor witha better understanding of what is on display.

43

In Vanuatu we normally place artefacts into
showcases and put simple labels on them. One
thing we learnt during the course of this trainingis that creating different types of displays backhome can contribute to making the displays more
informative and more interesting for visitors.
We learnt how to place artefacts chronologically
Inside the National Museum of Vanuatu

and thematically; the former being lining up
displays from the earliest to the latest, and the latterbeing placing them according to certain themes.

An example of how this can be done at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre is to set out the pottery collection
from the first types of pottery to the last or most recent types. For Efate pottery we could do it like this:
Lapita – Arapus – Erueti – Mangaas
At the Lake Biwa Museum, they had the following themes:▪

The geological history of Lake Biwa▪

Human history around Lake Biwa▪

Lake environment and our life▪

Aquarium

In Vanuatu we could use the following themes and sub-themes, arrange them in a manner that would
be interesting, and bring in experts to assist in the organisation of these displays:▪ Anthropology•

Ceremonies (i.e. masks, tamtams (wooden gongs) and other clothing)•

Agriculture•

Housing•

Crafts (i.e. mats, baskets)

•

Kava

•

Sand drawing•

Human adaptation to the:

•
▪

44

○

Environment○

ClimateMigration and trade

Archaeology•

Pottery

•

Tools

•

Ornaments•

Excavations•

SustenanceI was also greatly impressed by the way models were used in exhibitions. Models are great in assisting
visitors to visualise how things were like in the past, and we learnt that information to reconstructthese models can be obtained from old photos,
archival materials, archaeological excavations andold architectures still surviving today. For example,
in Vanuatu we could work on small-scale models of
our ceremonial grounds and even though some arestill used today, they are all on other islands. The
Vanuatu Cultural Centre could look into building
one in the museum in order for visitors to visualise
Agricultural site that can be modelledwhat they are like on the other islands.

Equipment and technology
In Vanuatu, the Vanuatu Cultural Centre itself does not have equipment to conduct and recordarchaeological surveys at cultural and historical sites. We rely a lot on researchers from universities
and institutions abroad to bring in the necessary equipment to conduct these surveys. The equipment
currently at the VCC that has been brought in by these researchers and left in our custody consists
mostly of hand tools and non-electronic equipment. All the electronic equipment, such as GPS, ground
penetrating radar and total stations are taken back after the work is done. In addition, there has beensome local training on the use of this equipment, and most of this is centred on the application of theequipment in the field. There is little training on how to analyse the data collected in the field so we canmake sense of it. Usually, the final analysis is done by experts from these universities and institutions.
Most of the artefacts (such as the pottery, shell and stone ornaments) are analysed in Vanuatu. Prior tothis training, I have had a bit of practical knowledge on using a GPS and a total station, but that was
as far as my knowledge went with electronic devices. Most of the practical work and analysis done in
Vanuatu is manual, with the use of basic computer software.
In the training course, we learnt that the GPS, Garmin eTrex 30, is a small, simple but effective GPS
device. An explanation was given on what happens when one is used and we learnt how to use a GPS
to collect both ‘point’ data (taking positions) and linear data (for example, tracking).
In addition we were taught GIS (Geographic Information Systems software used in conjunction witha GPS) theory, the basics on how to use GPS coordinates on a GIS map and how to massage the data.
We also learnt how to download and utilise QGIS (GIS freeware) and how to use it to do research,
manage our data, and how to exhibit the data so it can educate the general public on the importance of
our sites and landscapes.
We learnt how to download and use DEMs (Digital Elevation Models), which are digital maps on a
3D model surface; enter positions (from GPS coordinates) and linear data (such as road coordinates)from a GPS, and laser scanning data (from a 3D Laser Scanner) onto a GIS base map; how to insert

45

graphical data (pictures, photos, paintings, maps and drawings) into QGIS and integrate it into the basemap; and analyse data over space (spatial analysis) and height (slope analysis). A possible example
given of the latter was an analysis of energy consumption during a given period to show how people
use flatland and slopes, which could then suggest reasons why the land was used in such a way during
the given period of occupation.
We were taught how to analyse data in it in a given time context (chronological analysis); how to use
different layers (vectors) to display data, making it easy to add and remove different kind of data atwill; how to convert Southing and Easting data in the GPS coordinates in order to be able to use themon a GIS map; and were told that data from total stations or any type of device that recorded location
information could also be downloaded into GIS.
Another piece of interesting equipment introduced to us for the first time was the RICOH THETA, acamera used to take panoramic pictures. It can be used to provide a 360º image of an archaeologicalor cultural site for publicity and educational purposes. It can be used to create digital museum displays
or digital ‘tours’ of a museum (for example, one can click on a certain artefact to acquire information
about it). It also has the following useful features:▪ It can be used on the Internet and with Google Maps.
▪

When outside a room, it can automatically add location data for all points to take, which
can be uploaded to the Internet.

▪

It can be used to take pictures of small or large features.

3D scanners are quite expensive but they can provide a 3D virtual image of a site. During this training
we learnt:▪

what 3D scanners are and their capabilities▪

that this equipment is very good for displays▪

that they are better than drawings and 2D pictures▪

that they are more accurate and can be used to scan archaeological and cultural sites,
which in turn can be used to promote their importance▪

that they can also be used to produce detailed pictures of large and small artefacts

Cultural heritage management
Vanuatu, like many other countries in the Pacific, faces many issues in the management of its culturalsites. So far, we have been concentrating mainly on the surveying, recording and collection of datafrom cultural sites, and due to the significant variation of cultural sites, little has been done to focus on
the sustainable management of nearly all of them.
One constructive point we learnt from Dr Tomo Ishimura’s lecture was the importance of considering
all aspects that contribute to efficient management of a site. He showed us that not only is the physical
heritage important, but when one desires to administer and manage a cultural site, it is important totake into account the surrounding community and its economic needs and wants. Heritage cannot be
managed adequately in isolation; we have to balance its needs with those of the community and the46

economic benefit that can be derived from the site. One aspect cannot operate in isolation, as this canlead to the deterioration of the heritage site. When we eventually draft our plans for the managementof cultural sites and landscapes in Vanuatu, we will take into consideration these initiatives to ensurethat each cultural site is managed in a manner that includes and encompasses all important aspects.
In addition, some idea shared by Dr Ishimura on sustainable development in Fiji will be very useful for
us to consider when developing our cultural, historical and archaeological sites.

Future plans based on what I learnt during the training--

Consult with other government departments on how to improve our cultural landscapes:▪

Department of Education▪

Department of Lands▪

Department of Environment▪

Department of Agriculture▪

Department of Fisheries▪

Department of Finance▪

Department of Climate Change and Meteorology▪

Department of Tourism

Conduct meetings with communities involved with the site to conduct development of the siteaccording to the needs of the community and in a way that the community in accustomed to,and in line with the availability of resources (both in terms of manpower and the environmental
resources available within the vicinity).

-

Put together a group of young volunteer ‘experts’, and work on building up their capacity to workwith, and on cultural sites, such as:-▪

Artists▪

Writers▪

Camera personnel▪

IT personnel▪

Youths skilled in cultural crafts

What to utilise or carry out in order to promote the importance of our cultural landscapes andheritage:▪

Good professional photos▪

Brochures

▪

TV

▪

Arts and crafts

▪

Drama

▪

Art (in the form of paintings, drawings)▪

Documentaries▪

Video clips

47

▪

Involve young people/schools through competitions, participation in cultural activities▪

Use of natural vegetation and surroundings for enhancement of beauty and use of
local materials, without too much pressure being placed on the cultural and physicalenvironment▪ Improve the quality of service in accommodating visitors in cultural areas▪ Constantly monitor the development of sites by regularly conducting follow-ups to ensure
steady growth▪

Conduct small competitions to involve the public with the displays in the museum andalso to add content to the museum. For example, conduct a competition on the best black
and white photographs members of the public have in their private collections.

In Vanuatu I will work on writing up a plan on how to achieve the above, focusing initially on how
income can be generated from cultural sites (to ensure their sustainability and gain initial interest
from communities) by concentrating on a few sites and using them as examples or templates for the
improvement of other cultural sites and landscapes, namely:▪

The South West Bay area of Malekula – improving their Custom School and ceremonial
sites

▪

Lelepa island and Mangaliliu village – Chief Roimata’s Domain▪

Aneityum – taro agricultural sites and work on the history of the Church

I would like to conclude by expressing my deepest gratitude to the organisation that made thistraining possible, the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, and its staff for providing us withthe opportunity to learn so much, and for assisting Vanuatu to better manage its cultural landscapes,
cultural sites and cultural heritage. You have given us the necessary ‘tools’ to further preserve, protect
and promote our heritage, for which we are much obliged.

48

V. Appendix
1. List of Participants
2. List of Lecturers and Interpreter

Appendix

3. Staff Members, ACCU Nara Office1. List of ParticipantsRichard Matanik Lore
Chairperson

Lelema World Heritage Committee
Vanuatu Cultural Centre
P.O.Box 184, No. 2 Area, Port Vila, Vanuatu
Tel : (678)22129
rmatanik@gmail.com

Richard Japuneyo Shinji
Archaeologist

Vanuatu National Register
Vanuatu Cultural Centre
Vanuatu Cutural Centre, PMB 184, Port Vila, Vanuatu
Tel : (678)22129
rijashna@gmail.com

51

2. Lecturers and Interpreter■

Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (NNRICP)
247-1 Saki-cho, Nara 630-8577 Japan<Department of Cultural Heritage>
HIRASAWA Tsuyoshi, Head, Cultural Landscape Section
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6816 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6815 e-mail: hirachan@nabunken.go.jp
EDANI Hiroko, Researcher, Cultural Landscape Section
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6816 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6815 e-mail: edani@nabunken.go.jp<Department of Planning & Coordination>
ISHIMURA Tomo, Senior Researcher, International Cooperation Section
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6850 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6841 e-mail: tomoishi@nabunken.go.jp
TASHIRO Akiko, Associate Fellow, International Cooperation Section
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6757 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6841 e-mail: tashiro@nabunken.go.jp
NAKAMURA Ichiro, Official Research Photographer, Photograph Section
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6838 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6859 e-mail: ichiro@nabunken.go.jp
NIWA Takafumi, Researcher, Exhibition Section
Tel: (+81) 744 24 1122 Fax: (+81) 744 21 6390 e-mail: niwa@nabunken.go.jp<Department of Imperial Palace Sites Investigations>ODA Yuki, Researcher, Archaeology Section 2
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6834 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6830 e-mail: odayuki@nabunken.go.jp
SYODA Shinya, Researcher, Archaeology Section 1
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6833 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6830 e-mail: shoda@nabunken.go.jp
YAMAMOTO Yoshitaka, Researcher, History Section
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6837 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6830 e-mail: yamayoshi@nabunken.go.jp
KAWAHATA Jun, Researcher, Archaeology Section 3
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6835 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6830 e-mail: kawahata@nabunken.go.jp
MORIKAWA Minoru, Senior Researcher, Archaeology Section 3
Tel: (+81) 744 24 1122 Fax: (+81) 744 21 6390 e-mail: minorum@nabunken.go.jp
OSAWA Shogo, Researcher, Archaeology Section 2
Tel: (+81) 744 24 1122 Fax: (+81) 744 21 6390 e-mail: osawa@nabunken.go.jp<Center for Archaeological Operations>
TAMURA Tomomi, Researcher, Conservation Science Laboratory
Tel: (+81) 742 30 6847 Fax: (+81) 742 30 6846 e-mail: ret6024@nabunken.go.jp■

Lake Biwa Museum
1091 Oroshimo Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0001 Japan52

Tel: (+81) 77 568 4814 Fax: (+81) 77 568 4850
HASHIMOTO Michinori, Research Scientist (Japanese History)
History, Culture and Earth Sciences Research Group, Collection Section
e-mail: hashimoto@lbm.go.jp■

Takashima Municipal Board of Education
455 Tanaka Adogawa-cho Takashima-city, Shiga 520-1292 Japan
Tel: (+81) 740 32 4467 Fax: (+81) 740 32 3568
YAMAMOTO Akiko, Director, Cultural Property Divisione-mail: yamamoto658@city.takashima.lg.jp■

Tezukayama University
7-1-1 Tezukayama, Nara 631-8501 Japan
Tel: (+81) 742 48 6042

Fax: (+81) 742 48 9025

UNO Takao, Professor, Department of Culture and Creativity, Faculty of Letterse-mail: tuno@tezukayama-u.ac.jp■

Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education
5-10-1 Shimoyamatedori Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-8567 Japan
Tel: (+81) 78 362 9443

Fax: (+81) 78 362 3927

MURAKAMI Yasumichi, Head, Cultural Assets Divisione-mail: yasumichi_murakami@pref.hyogo.lg.jp■

Kobe Municipal Board of Education
6-5-1 Kano-cho Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-8570 Japan
Tel: (+81) 78 322 5798

Fax: (+81) 78 322 6148

TOYOSHIMA Junko, Chief, Cultural Assets Divisione-mail: kazue-higashi@office.city.kobe.lg.jp■

National Museum of Ethnology
10-1 Senri Expo Park Suita, Osaka 565-8511 Japan
Tel: (+81) 6 6876 2151

Fax: (+81)6 6878 7503

KUBO Masatoshi, Deputy Director-General, National Museum of Ethnology
e-mail: kubom@idc.minpaku.ac.jp
Tel: (+81) 6 6878 8285 Fax: (+81) 6 6878 7503■

Ikaruga Town Board of Education
1-11-14 Horyuji-nishi Ikaruga-cho Ikoma-gun, Nara 636-0114 JapanARAKI Koji, Chief, Lifelong Learning Department
Cultural Property Preservation Section
Tel: (+81) 745 70 1200 Fax: (+81) 745 70 1201 e-mail: syougai@town.ikaruga.nara.jp

53

■Interpreter
SOHMIYA Ayako, Freelance Interpreter■

Assisted Organisation and Collaborators
DOI Kazutaka, Director, Weathercook House

3. Staff Members, ACCU NaraNISHIMURA Yasushi, Director
nishimura@accu.or.jp
TAKAHASHI Wataru, Deputy Director
takahashi@accu.or.jp
KOBAYASHI Ken’ichi, Director, Programme Operation Department
kobayashi@accu.or.jp
WAKIYA Kayoko, Director, International Cooperation Division
wakiya@accu.or.jp
HORIKAWA Kazuko, Chief, Planning & Coordination Divisionhorikawa@accu.or.jp
SAKIMOTO Keiko, Chief, International Cooperation Division
sakimoto@accu.or.jp
NISHIDA Michiko, Staff, Planning & Coordination Divisionnishida@accu.or.jp
SHIMOMURA Nobuhito, Staff, International Cooperation Division
shimomura@accu.or.jp

Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office
Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
757 Horen-cho, Nara 630-8113 Japan
Tel: (+81) 742 20 5001 Fax: (+81) 742 20 5701
e-mail: nara@accu.or.jp
http: //www.nara.accu.or.jp/54