A History of Cultural Heritage Preservation in Modern Japan and Korea

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In this research, I elucidated various aspects of modern Japanese and Korean cultural heritage. In particular, I focused on the connections between society and historical sites and landmarks, on the social history of the discourse on early modern and modern transitions and cultural heritage preservation, and also on the political dynamics surrounding cultural preservation within the Japanese Empire. In concrete terms, I compiled a book, Ancient Capital Cities and the Modern Imperial System (Iwanami Press, 2006, 320 pages), in which I examined how the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto were commemorated from the Meiji Restoration until the twentieth century, and in which I also analyzed the transitions of landmarks from the early modern to the modern period, using the role of cherry blossoms and classical literature as my primary material. I collected data, using research assistants, from newspapers such as Keijo nippo (Keijo Daily) about cherry tree planting on the Korean peninsula. Also, I traced historical perspectives surrounding Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the commemoration of historic sites throughout the modern/contemporary history of the Japanese Empire. Additionally, I reprinted the Nara Women's Teacher's College "Meiji 15 Continental School Trip Travel Diaries, Humanities Course, Fourth Year" (Nara Women's University Archives), Complete Edition (Students' Handwritten Version) in a research report.