About the Cultural Heritage

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

The “intangible cultural heritage” means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups, and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage (Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Article 2, Clause 1).
In order to increase awareness of the significance of the intangible cultural heritage, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage shall establish a Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Article 16).

In general, the items included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity are also often referred to as “Intangible Cultural Asset” or “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”.

Sekishu-banshi was registered at “the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” based on the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.

At this time, Sekishu-banshi was reregistered at “the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” based on the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014, as “Washi, craftsmanship of traditional Japanese hand-made paper”.

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