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<menu> The Plan For The Development Our opinion on the proposal of the "cultural property examination committee "2002.10.8 |
In March 2002, The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport prepared the "cultural property examination committee", based on the conclusion of the "groundwater examination committee", and has continued examination whether it is possible to let a highway pass beneath the Nara Palace Site and its vicinity, which has been recognized both domestically by the Japanese government as a Special Historic Site, and internationally as part of the World Heritage by UNESCO. After four meetings, the committee performed the proposal on July 15. that the expressway should not pass through the specification range of the Special Historic Site of Nara Palace, because the Special Historic Site of Nara Palace is extremely important cultural heritage as a center of the ancient state, and the efforts for preservation must be continued over the future. The proposal also added that it is desirable to route the expressway as much as possible away from the buffer zone of World Heritage Site around the Nara Palace Site. . The proposal furthermore appointed that the Nara Palace Site is of very high historical and archaeological value, that since Meiji Era research and preservation activity has been conducted, that as the registered World Heritage Site the preservation problem of the site has been focused internationally, that unearthed artifacts and features from the site opened the new stage for the study of East Asian ancient history, that the Resident site of Nagaya Prince adjacent to the Nara palace Site is also very important, that Sy?rin Garden Site can be recognized as an additional accommodation of Nara Palace Site, and that the site should be preserved over the future and the destruction by human affairs must be avoided. Behind these conclusions of the committee exist wide academic appeals, civil movements, and large public opinions for saving the Nara Palace Site (A World Heritage Monument) from the expressway . And the official letter from a director of World Heritage Center, UNESCO to the Japanese government has much influenced public opinions, which referred to the irreversible negative effect by the construction. So far, we evaluate the proposal of the committee. However some serious and unneglectable problems are left behind. . The proposal of the committee states on the other hands that it is technologically possible to construct the underground expressway just beneath the Nara Palace Site with minimum effect to the unburied archaeological materials. This statement approve without any check the conclusion of the "groundwater examination committee" that the construction of expressway will have only very slight effect to both groundwater and archaeological materials. At the point, the proposal is a perfect jumble of wheat and tares. About the conclusion of the "groundwater examination committee", Dr.Kazuo Okunishi , stricken area form study ,Emeritus Professor Kyoto University , commented "Only a few observation has been conducted, and the reliability of a simulation was low" “The construction of the expressway must be avoided definitely”, and criticized the conclusion covering ten items. After Dr. Okunishi deepens this further in the lecture of Society for Preserving the Nara Palace Site on July 14, "the will of wanting to dig a tunnel is working quite strongly. The result of a simulation has forced a certain kind of computer myth that "the result is right absolutely since the computer never make a mistake." "Influence is slight" Dr.Okunishi also criticized severely also about the conclusion of the "cultural property examination committee." ,as "it is out of the question" . Is the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport still going to let a Keinawa motorway Yamato North Road pass to somewhere in Heijokyo ancient capital city ? The area of Heij?ky? ancient capital city including Nara Palace Site is the rare historical heritage which is continuing telling the truth history until today, since development was based on agricultural after transferring of the capital to Nagaokakyo, Kyoto, as referred in "Sandai Jituroku "(9c). The ancient capital city of Heijokyo(Nara) has been fortunately well preserved and the excavation of whole city area is the problem of future. Parts of history and way of life has been made clear through the excavation of Nara palace Site, but the actual picture will first appear only after further research of whole area of Heijokyo ancient capital city. . In 1970,UNESCO sated as follows in the special recommendation about the historical city of Kyoto and Nara. The means of preservation should include the sites and monuments whether it is registerd or not, and the adjacent area and historic region and agricultural field. The whole region must be preserved strongly. This statement shows that at least the whole area of Heij?ky?(Nara) ancient capital city should be under the preservation means. . The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have to understand the significance of the Nara Palece Site and the whole Heij?ky?(Nara) ancient capital city It is reckless to let a expressway pass through the Heijokyo ancient capital city region, in view of all points: . For the prevention of historic heritages and the reproduction of landscape, or in order to protect the health of human being and precious cultural properties from a risk of air pollution increase, expressway passage has much damage and does not have profits. A We strongly protest to demand withdrawal of expressway from not only the Nara Palace Site but also the whole Heijokyo ancient capital city region. September, 2002
Nara World Heritage Citizen Network |
