Living National Treasures of Japan
Living National Treasure, (Japanese人间 国宝, Ningen kokuhō ) is the colloquial name for a person who has been honored by the Japanese government for their outstanding ability to continue a traditional craftsmanship and thereby to preserve.
The concept
In order to preserve traditional cultural assets such as theater, music, traditional arts and crafts and other things of particular value is the been extended " Law for the Protection Important Cultural Property " to the category " Intangible Cultural Heritage " 1950. That is, individuals or groups that retain an appropriate skill (わざ, waza ) are - since 1955 - excellent as a carrier of the same. There are three categories of awards:
- Single Award (各个 认定, Kakko nintei ) for individuals,
- Collective award (総 合 认定, Sogo nintei ) for two or more people who work together and as individuals have an outstanding skill,
- Award of a group (保持 団 体 认定, Hoji dantai nintei ) for groups as a whole without specific consideration of the individual skills.
Only the individually excellent person is referred to as a living national treasure. The excellent person receives an annual honorarium from the current 2 million yen. Groups are supported through the acquisition of a portion of the performance costs. The Japanese National Theatre (国立 剧场, Kokuritsu Gekijo ) supports the training in the areas of Noh, Bunraku and Kabuki.
Even if the o a status is not awarded, selected 'records' as substantive evidence of intangible skills can ( 「記録 作成 等 の 措置 を 講ず べき 無形 文化財」 ) are registered. The state registered at the national level itself, otherwise it supports regional bodies in this task.
The individual categories
Performing Arts
- Imperial court music gagaku (雅 楽, gagaku )
- Noh (能 楽, Nogaku )
- Bunraku (文 楽, bunraku )
- Kabuki (歌舞 伎, kabuki )
- Group dance, Okinawa (组 踊, kumi - odori )
- Music on traditional instruments: biwa, koto, shakuhachi and Others (音 楽, ongaku )
- Dance (舞 踊, Buyo )
- Elocution: rakugo and Others (演 芸, Engei, Entertainment Arts)
- Performing arts (演剧, engeki )
Crafts
- Ceramic (陶 芸, tōgei )
- Dyeing (染织, Senshoku )
- Dyeing with paper stencils (染织(伊 势 型 纸) Senshoku ( Ise katagami ) )
- Lacquerware (漆 芸, shitsugei )
- Metalwork (金工, Kinko )
- Metal work: Swords (金工(刀 剣), Kinko (token) )
- Dolls (人形, Ningyo )
- Wood and bamboo work (木·竹工, moku chikukō )
- Miscellaneous Arts and Crafts (诸 工 芸, shokōgei )
- Japanese paper (和 纸, washi )