The COVID-19 pandemic, cultural heritage, and policy in Japan: implications of survey data

ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Japanese society, including its relationship with cultural heritage. This paper shares findings of a large-scale web-based survey conducted from January to February 2022, reaching over 10,000 respondents using a smartphone questionnaire system, aimed at answering the following questions: ‘What impact has the pandemic had on societies and local communities in Japan?’ and ‘What policies should be implemented to protect cultural heritage in response to this new situation in Japan?’. A cross-cutting analysis of the collected responses and respondent attributes was performed. The paper offers four recommendations for long- and short-term cultural heritage policies to enhance future protection. Firstly, it emphasizes increasing cultural heritage awareness, targeting youth and the economically disadvantaged. Secondly, it recommends a reassessment of the prevailing policy structures related to temples and shrines. This recognises the traditional role these institutions have played as community gathering places. Thirdly, it emphasizes supporting smaller, rural festivals with financial aid for repairs, promotions, and bridging migrant gaps. Finally, it suggests integrating the younger generation into the cultural heritage discourse through educational initiatives and digital resources, ensuring continued relevance and intergenerational connection to cultural heritage in Japan. These policy suggestions stand as the linchpin for perpetuating cultural heritage and fostering intergenerational engagement therein.KEYWORDS: COVID-19 pandemicJapansmartphone surveyplace attachmentcultural heritage AcknowledgmentsThis paper is an outcome of the research project “International Research Project to Develop Methodologies to Develop Integrated Governance Policies to Protect Cultural Heritage” (Principal Investigator: Toshiyuki Kono), with the financial aid of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) “Topic-Setting Program to Advance Cutting-Edge Humanities and Social Sciences Research” (2019 - 2021).Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. Requests to wear masks outdoors were cancelled in May 2022, and similar directives for indoor settings were revoked on March 13th, 2023. Furthermore, COVID-19 was reclassified under the Infectious Diseases Law on May 8th, 2023. Yet, many Japanese citizens continue to wear masks even as of June 2023. As the Yomiuri Shimbun reported in The Japan News on June 8, 2023, a survey disclosed that 46% of respondents were wearing masks, even in uncongested areas, during the first week of June.2. The first Visit to a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine to celebrate the New Year.3. Religious ceremonies such as funerals and memorial services account for more than 80% of temple income. The survey shows that ‘funerals, memorial services, and monthly visits’ account for 67.3% of temple income, while ‘events (Bon, Higan, etc.)’ account for 16.0% (Ikemoto Citation2019).4. A Buddhist event where the traditional custom of ancestor worship.5. Families pay visits to graves during Higan.6. Visitor numbers in Japanese museums are not directly linked to income, with about half of the museums reporting less than 5% in external income as a percentage of operating costs. In other words, the decline in visitor numbers has not led to significant income. Furthermore, primary and secondary school students are generally free of charge and do not contribute to museum income.7. A system whereby the administration selects monitors who accepted and registered from the residents within its jurisdiction.8. The survey did not cover people under 20 years of age, as the characteristics of the questionnaire asked about the level of attachment to their residential area. It was impossible to obtain the same level of responses as for people aged 20 and over. NTT Docomo’s system also does not allow survey responses from people under 18.9. The respondents of Matsue city are counted in both A-2 and B-2 but is not duplicated in the totals.10. For more information on the survey, see, H. Yamada and H. Seki (Citation2022).Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.Notes on contributorsHiroki YamadaHiroki Yamada Senior Assistant Professor of Research Institute of Cultural Properties, Teikyo University, PhD candidate of Teikyo University, and Visiting Researcher of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. He has worked in various countries, including Japan, Tajikistan, Iran, Vietnam and Nepal, to conserve cultural heritage as an Architect and Urban Designer for a decade.Hiromitsu SekiHiromitsu Seki Urban planning practitioner and Chief planner of Urban Design Institute Co. His work focuses on community and regional development that inherit the history and culture of local cities. And he struggles to realize a Heart-enriching life in local cities.Toshiyuki KonoToshiyuki Kono Professor emeritus of Kyushu University and Honorary President of ICOMOS Professor Kono served as the 8th president of ICOMOS, an advisory body of UNESCO, between 2017 and 2020. Professor Kono holds a Titular Membership of the International Academy of Comparative Law. In 2019, he received the Reimer-Luest Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany).