| b) Legal protection status | The nominated properties, the three historic villages, are Preservation
Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings, a type of cultural
property which is defined in accordance with Article 2 of the
Law for Protection of Cultural Properties (enacted on August 29,
1950; hereafter referred to in this document as "the Law"). (The
definition and the system of protection applicable to Preservation
Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings were added at the time
of revision of the Law in July 1975.) For these types of cultural properties (i.e.these historic villages) the city, town or Mura where the property is located establishes Preservation Regulations and under these regulations designates Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings (hereafter referred to in this document as "Preservation Districts"), in accordance with Article 83-2 and 83-3 of the Law. In these Preservation Regulations, in addition to provisions regarding the designation of the Preservation Districts, the following matters are included:
In the Preservation Plans mentioned above (Item 1), the following provisions are included: 1. Basic plans for conservation of the Preservation Districts
2. Lists and maps of designated Historic Buildings and Environmental Features which are to be conserved. 3. Conservation and supplemental improvement plans for Historic Buildings, Environmental Features, other buildings and structures, etc. in the Preservation Districts. 4. Subsidy measures for conservation works or other actions related to buildings and their environment in the Preservation District. 5. Plans for management facilities and equipment necessary for the conservation of the Preservation Districts as well as plans for the improvement of the environment of the Preservation Districts. The Board of Education of each Preservation District, which is in charge of preservation in that district, shall hear the opinions of the council before actions are taken regarding the designation of the Preservation District, the establishment of Preservation Plans, or other important matters necessary for preservation. The Commissioner of the national Agency for Cultural Affairs and/or the Prefectural Board of Education may provide the City/Town/Mura with the necessary guidance or advice for preservation of the Preservation Districts (Article 83-3-5 of the Law). Moreover, according to the application filed by various city/town/Mura governments, the national government may select those preservation districts which have especially high value in and for the country of Japan as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings (hereafter in this document referred to as "Important Preservation Districts") (Article 83-4 of the Law). The national government may provide partial subsidies to help support the costs of preservation measures undertaken by the city/town/Mura governments. For each of the three nominated villages, the Preservation District was designated under the Preservation Regulations of the Mura government, and each district has been preserved properly under the established Preservation Plans. Among these three historic villages, Ogimachi Village was selected as an "Important Preservation District" in September 1976. The national government is currently processing the selection of the villages of Ainokura and Suganuma for the same recognition. Ainokura, Suganuma and their immediate surroundings were previously designated as Historic Sites, in accordance with Article 69 of the Law, in December 1970. Since that time these historic villages and the surrounding environment have been protected. The owners of the designated Historic Sites have the obligation to maintain those sites in the proper condition (Article 75 of the Law). The national government may give orders or advice for custody and restoration (Article 76 and 77 of the Law). Any action (including repair) which may alter the existing state of a place designated as a Historic Site is to be controlled, and the permission of the government must be obtained (Article 80 of the Law). The owners and/or other persons related to the properties have the obligation to open them to the public and to make efforts to utilize the properties properly for the benefit of the public, in accordance with Article 3-3 of the Law. In the Preservation Plans for each of the three villages, provisions are made to accommodate visitor parking, and the village government takes the responsibility of providing explanatory and directional signage as required throughout the village. Also, wherever possible, the local government is encouraged to purchase or lease vacated historic buildings to develop for public use. In all three districts it is possible for the public to enter freely, and each district has an explanatory signage program, open houses, and some houses converted into museums, all for the purpose of accommodating the public. Parking lots for visitors are provided at the points of entry into the village or just outside the historic district to prevent unnecessary vehicle traffic inside the district. In addition, in the Ogimachi Preservation District there is an open-air architectural museum and in Suganuma is a youth-camp facility --both of which make use of abandoned historic buildings relocated from other nearby areas, providing a means for visitors to learn about the local architecture. |
