Chapter 5. Solutions of Diverse Participation among Residents in the Conservation
5.2. Diversity of Social Organizations
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Table 5.1 Major Annual Activities of the Goshono Site Conservation Cadet Corps
Time Activity
April Inaugural meeting; Springtime social service activities
May-October Third–fifth grades: Field trips and other experiential activities;
Sixth grade: Public relations activities and school excursion September Autumnal social service activities
November Presentation (「まほろばの風」) November-February Commemoration of all activities
March Handover ceremony
In summary of Section 5.1, the conservation and utilization of Japanese archaeological sites show remarkable diversity. Except for governmental agencies which take primary responsibilities for those tasks, local organizations, NPOs, and local companies assist with site conservation, management, and utilization. The base of their activity is either of publicity or internal communication, and the participation of locals in the civil groups reflects their initiative in site conservation and utilization promoted by the development of conservation and utilization of cultural sites in Japan.
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5.2.1. Local Resident Groups
Clearly, the core members of local resident groups are local residents. A representative local resident group is the Nara Palace Site Conservation Association (平城宮跡保存協力 会), which has the following characteristics.
(1) It has existed since 1966 and boasts a more than 50-year history.
(2) It demonstrates waning membership as its chief setback—for example, from 175 in 1966 to 146 in 2016—largely due to the aging and outflow of population. Currently, the biggest issue for this association is the membership.
(3) It has stable, but insufficient funding. Funds initially came from its 175 members who each paid a one-time fee of 6,000 yen as necessary operating capital and 600 yen annually in dues, but eventually also came from revenue from museum shops and stalls at festivals.
(4) It serves to solve local residents’ issues, maintains close relations with the site, employs residents, and aids in conserving and publicizing the site. All of these activities partly follow the precedent of its predecessor, the Nara Palace Site Countermeasure Committee (平城宮跡対策委員会), which sought to address problems caused by land acquisition.
(5) It receives various forms of assistance from many organizations, especially the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and the Nara prefectural government, although the 2008 creation of a national historical park with a tourist center and experience center by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) has negatively affected its development.
(6) It communicates with authorities via informal meetings and press releases. Two local newspapers of Naranichinichi Shimbun and Yamato Times are representative cases to ensure the communication.
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5.2.2. Volunteer Groups
Prevalent in Japan, where their members are called volunteer guides or oendan (応援団), volunteer groups with more than 100 members include the Kasori Shell Mounds Museum Society (加曽利貝塚博物館友の会), the Nara Palace Site Support Network (平城宮跡サ ポートネットワーク), and the Sannai-maruyama Assistance Brigade, whereas small groups with 30–40 members include the Fukikami and Kamabuta Sites Oendan (吹上・釜 蓋遺跡応援団), the Goshono Site Supporting Society, and the Goshono Site Excavation Society. A representative example of a volunteer group is the Sannai-maruyama Assistance Brigade, which has the following five characteristics.
(1) It was establishend under the supervision of the Sannai-maruyama Site Conservation and Utilization Promotion Office (三内丸山遺跡保存活用推進室) in close connection to the site’s conservation, utilization, and publicity following its excavation, when the sudden influx of visitors necessitated organization of guides because archaeologist guides became limited.
(2) It has stable membership, which has increased from 56 to 100 since its founding, since each year shows a similar number of newcomers and retired members (i.e., 5–10);
until 2015, the total number is 97 while two are in a break (Table 5.2).
(3) It enjoys funding from a range of sources, albeit primarily from subsidies (助成金) and trusts (委託金) from the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education (青森県教育委員会) and Aomori City’s municipal government (500,000 yen per year), donations from local companies (To-o Nippo: 200,000 yen per year; Michinoku Bank (みちのく銀行): 200,000 yen per year), in addition to operating revenues from workshops and the museum shop, and donations from the public for site conservation.
(4) It promotes the Sannai-maruyama site, Jomon culture, and local Aomori culture via free guided tours 8-16 times per day that profit by attracting visitors and propagating Jomon culture.
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(5) It has received various forms of assistance from many organizations, including support in its establishment and funding from the Cultural Properties Protection Department, particularly the Promotions Office, as well as promotional and capital supports from local companies.
Table 5.2 Personnel Structure of the Sannai-maruyama Assistance Brigade
Division Situation Specific Data
Age Structure
The average age is 65.
Female, 50-60. Male, 60-70.
Gender Distribution
Female is lightly more than male.
Female, 55. Male, 42.
Occupation Most of them are housewives and retirees.
Housewives and retirees, 80%.
In-service staff and student, 20%.
There is only one student volunteer since students usually cannot work sustainably.
Enrollment Time
Most of them
have rich
experience.
14-15 members have 20 years’ experience.
More than half have 10 years’ experience.
Current Residence
Most of them are living in Aomori City.
88 are living in Aomori City. 7-8 are living in Sannai Town.
9 are living in other cities, such as Towada City (十和田市), Mutsu City ( 陸 奧 市 ) and Hirosaki City (弘前市).
5.3.3. Membership Organizations
In Japan, membership organizations enjoy broad coverage, often with hundreds of members, as found with the Sannai-maruyama Jomon Information Association and the World Heritage Inscription Association. A representative example is the Jomon Information Association, which includes the following four characteristics.
(1) It was planned and established in 1995 by Planning Group PRISM (企画集団ぷり
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ずむ), a local planning group dedicated to propagating regional culture since 1979 and is closely connected to publicizing the Sannai-Murayama site, conserving it, and nominating it as a world heritage site.
(2) It has more than 300 members across Japan, enjoys five PRISM-based teams responsible for the organization’s work, and even welcomes foreign participants in its activities.
(3) It has extensive but unstable funding sources which are the group’s greatest setback at present. These consist primarily of membership fees (10,000 yen per year) and subsidies from the Cultural Properties Protection Department for creating posters and flyers for festivals and preparing for conferences.
(4) It promotes the Sannai-maruyama site and Jomon culture by publishing the Jomon File in Japanese and English, organizing conferences, and hosting festivals.
In summary of Section 5.2, the primary purpose of the various types of organizations dedicated to the conservation and utilize of Japan’s archaeological sites is to either promote regional culture or solve members’ problems. To those ends, the organizations assist the government with resolving complex matters involving local residents and with performing an abundance of work task, while simultaneously organizing learning, visiting, and operating activities that serve the desires of their members (Table 5.3).
Although some organizations face poor budgets and membership, internal adjustments and external support help them to develop sustainably. Owing to such modifications and efforts, the Nara Palace Site Conservation Association has been active for more than five decades, and the Sannai-maruyama Assistance Brigade and Goshono Site Supporting Society may be able to continue for more than two decades.
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Table 5.3 Diversity of Social Organizations
Classification Nara Palace Sannai-maruyama Goshono Participant Activity Effect
Governmental Agency >Nara Prefectural Board of Education
>Aomori Prefectural Board of Education
-Sannai-maruyama Site Conservation and Utilization Promotion Office
>Ichinohe Town Board of Education
Administrators >Conserve the site
>Publish Conservation Plans
>Organize festivals
>Offer policies and fund supports
>Manage, conserve, utilize and advertise the site
>Provide the conditions for the development of social organizations Research Institute >Nara National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties
>Aomori Prefectural Board of Education
>Ichinohe Town Board of Education
Archaeologists >Organize the conferences
>Organize Live presentations
>Publish research reports and journals
>Assist the activities of social organizations
>Research, advertise the site
>Provide the academic knowledge for authorities and social organizations
Social Organiza -tion
Local Residents Group
>Nara Palace Site Conservation Association
Mainly local residents at the site area
>Solve the issues of local residents
>Offer the chances for jobs
>Conserve the site
>Contribute to the site conservation project
>Keep continuous relationship between locals and site
Citizen Conservation Group
>Nara Palace Preservation Society
>Preservation Society of Asuka Area and Heijo-kyo
Mainly prefectural and municipal citizens
>Appeal the conservation of site
>Advertise the importance of site
>Arouse the public’s consciousness for site conservation
Citizen Volunteer Group (# Some participants are excavators)
>Nara Palace Site
Support Network >Sannai-maruyama Assistance Brigade
>Goshono Site Supporting Society
>Goshono Site Excavation Society
Mainly municipal citizens, and some prefectural citizens
>Offer guide service
>Operate workshops
>Operate museum shops
>Publish journals
>Assist the organization of conferences and festivals
>Advertise the site
>Gain a certain income
>Satisfy the requirements of members
Advertisement Organization (# Some groups are for World Heritage Nomination)
>Sannai-maruyama Jomon
Information Association
>World Heritage Inscription Association
Members throughout Japan, even from abroad
>Assist the organization of conferences
>Hold lectures regularly
>Organize festivals
>Advertise the site, archaeological culture, and history
>Raise the reputation of the site
>Satisfy the requirements of members Academic
Council >National Council for Cultural Properties Conservation (文化財 保存全国協議会)
>Japanese Society for Cultural Heritage (日本遺跡学会)
>National Historic Site Maintenance Municipal Council (全国史 跡整備市町村協議会)
Scholars >Organize the conferences
>Publish journals
>Exchange the ideas for better conservation and utilization of site
Other Social Organization
>Nara Prefectural Rural Issues Research Association
>Nature and History Society
>Saihoji Cosmos Society
>Iwadate Citizen Center
>Iwadate Women Society
>International Association
>Hold social activities in the site museum and park
>Assist the cleaning activities
>Utilize the site for more people in various forms
>Involve more people in the conservation of site
Local Primary and Middle High School
>Goshono Site Conservation Cadet Corps
Local students >Field trips or school excursion
>Investigate and experiential activities
>PR activities
>Promote the youth’s understanding and cherishment of the site
>Encourage them to love their hometown
Company >Gosennen no
Hoshi Restaurant
>Gift shop of Hokusaikan
Mainly municipal citizens, and some local villagers
>Offer well customer service
>Offer the jobs
>Enrich the functions of site museum and park
>Advertise the site
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