Japan’s National Treasures: Like the Movies, But Without Nic Cage

by 12 Comments

As an American, it’s sometimes kind of strange to me that other countries have Ministries of Culture. The US, being the melting pot that it is, doesn’t really have the same sort of shared cultural heritage that other countries value so highly.

But for countries like Japan that aren’t quite as diverse as the US, holding on to that cultural identity is crucial. It’s always important to remember where you came from and acknowledge your cultural history.

That’s why the Japanese government keeps a registry of National Treasures – people, places, and things that are so crucial to Japanese culture that they’re recognized and preserved for future generations.

Don’t make the same mistake I made when I first saw the words “National Treasure” and assume it was about the Jerry Bruckheimer movies. Although it is cool thinking about Nic Cage working for the Japanese government, and it hasn’t stopped me from adding every Nic Cage movie on Netflix to my queue

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) decides what is and is not a National Treasure. For the most part, National Treasures are about what you would expect: incredible, ancient temples; beautiful, complex tapestries; hand-forged swords.

Oh, and this scroll of a bunch of frogs kickin’ it with a rabbit. There’s that, too.

(Sadly though, the illustrious fart scrolls have yet to be added as a National Treasure.)

There are also Living National Treasures; people who are so awesome at what they do, the government says that they’re treasures. These people are masters of traditional Japanese crafts who have spent decades perfecting their craft and are usually the latest in a long line of masters.

If you’ve been following the Ukiyo-E Heroes project that’s been turning old-school video game characters into even-older-school Japanese woodblock prints, then you actually might be familiar with a Living National Treasure. (No, not Mario.)

Woodblock closeupAll of the woodblock prints made by Ukiyo-E Heroes were printed on special washi paper made by Ichibei Iwano, a living national treasure.

It’s interesting to think about what kind of places and people will become National Treasures in the future. Right now, the requirements are very traditional, but that could change in the future.

What places and things will be National Treasure in the future? Right now, National Treasures are limited to specific time periods (mostly pre-Meiji), but obviously as time goes by, more modern things and landmarks should be added to the registry. (Imagine some place in Akihabara being proclaimed a National Treasure . . .)

Same goes for Living National Treasures. Why couldn’t somebody like Miyazaki one day be honored by the government in the same way that other master craftspeople are?

And who knows, maybe one day — Koichi for Living National Treasure?

  • kintaro

    Yes, but what about THE national treasures of Japan. Namely the Emperor’s treasure room and the secret stuff nobody gets to see in public. I want to hear about that stuff! The sword, and the mirror, and the rock thing. At least, I heard a lot about it when I was in Japan, I assume it is more popular than just my group of Japanese friends.

  • http://www.tofugu.com/ Hashi

    That would be hard to write about considering they’ve never been photographed, nobody really knows where they are, and probably only a handful of people alive have actually seen them.

  • Mescale

    I think the US has plenty of shared cultural heritage, but not all countries really celebrate or even teacherise their own citizens about.

    Now I can’t actually name any of that heritage, because I really know very little about America, but you know its not like I know anything about the culture of England, or its history either, but apparently there is some stuff and I’m sure an anglophile would be able to regale you of many great things. And an Americanophile could probably teach you (and me) a thing or two about America.

    Besides don’t you live in Portland which is full of wacky crazy stuff, the Whole State of Washington is wacky including the whole, it doesn’t have Washington in it either. Silly ‘merikans.

  • http://www.tofugu.com/ Hashi

    I agree, we need to teacherise our own citizens more about.

    And Washington may be stranger than you think. If you’re unfamiliar with its love of horses, I would suggest consulting Washington natives Koichi and Viet.

  • hashi-wants-a-raise

    Wow, I like that last line. Really going for a raise, aren’t you?

  • http://www.vietamins.com Viet

    Horses are so majesticccccc.

  • http://www.tofugu.com/ Hashi

    Always!

  • Nic Cage the Booty Hunter

    Being a Living National Treasure sounds nice until you realize it means being locked away in an underground cave until Nic Cage comes to rescue you and claim you as his booty.

    Hashi, is that what you really want for Koichi?

  • HatsuHazama

    I agree, simply to have an article about a ‘rock thing’.

  • kelseyroo

    my dad is from washington, and he does plenty of strange things. like pronounce motorcycle “motersickle”. apparently its a southern washington thing…?

  • Pepper_the_Sgt

    The history behind them is pretty interesting, though. In “The Tale of the Heike” (Heike Monogatari), two people facing defeat drown themselves and take the three treasures with them. I think the story claims the sword was never recovered. If Japan ever got that back, I don’t know how (assuming that particular story is true in the first place. “The Tale of the Heike” is based on historical events, but definitely embellishes things for the sake of entertainment). The video game “Okami” alludes to the treasures pretty often, too. The mysterious of it all makes it fun to think about. They’re kind of like the Ark of the Covenant.

  • DeTo-13

    Those Ukiyo-E Heroes woodblock prints are quality, i saw a few of them floating about somewhere before but never knew where they was from, thanks.