c) Indication as to the authenticity of the property

Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma villages have existed as villages since the 11th century, and throughout the history of this area there has been no alteration to the geographical location or village boundaries. The large central roadways were constructed through Ogimachi at the end of the 19th century and through Ainokura in the mid-20th century. With the exception of these roads, there has been no significant change in the basic composition of the villages -- in the old layouts of roads and canals, or in the land-use patterns, such as in the allocation of residential land and cultivated land. In this respect the authenticity of the historic village location and composition has been maintained. The historic buildings and structures which make up these villages are designated and described in the Preservation Plan. The preservation of these structures is the obligation of the owners, who must submit official notification and obtain approval if they propose to alter the existing state in any way -- but any proposed alteration which could harm the historic value of the building will be rejected. Also, as a general rule new construction and remodeling are prohibited, but in exceptional cases where approval is granted, the design is required to conform to the historic surroundings. Corresponding to the requirements in these regulations, local government subsidies are provided to help support the necessary construction costs for conservation work on Historic Buildings as well as for improvement work on ordinary buildings, including modifications to enhance the appearance of buildings which do not blend in well with the historic surroundings. Because the procedures required for the subsidy program allow the local government to check the content of the proposal and to monitor the carrying out of the actual work, the authenticity of the preservation measures can be guaranteed. Most of the maintenance repair work involves the rethatching of all or part of the roof. As the materials which are used are all traditional materials collected from the surrounding forest areas, and because the work is done using authentic traditional techniques which have been handed down as part of the labor customs controlled by the kumi organizations, the authenticity of materials and techniques is assured. In the case of major repair work with complete or partial dismantlement which is required due to deformation of the structural frame or deterioration of the structural members, a conservation architect with expertise and experience in this type of conservation work is brought in to supervise the design and to manage the construction work. In this way, also, the authenticity of the design, material, and craftsmanship is guaranteed. Also, for Environmental Features such as irrigated rice fields or dry crop lands and the surrounding natural environment, alterations of the existing state are strictly controlled in accordance with the Preservation Plan or other appropriate laws and regulations. Thus the authenticity of the historic landscape and the natural environment is preserved. Atsuko Toyama Commissioner Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan September 26, 1994