Japan local officials urge disaster victims not to toss out damaged pieces of local heritage

Kumamoto Prefecture's cultural affairs division has warned residents not to discard damaged historical materials following a powerful earthquake on July 29. The division listed various items such as old documents, scrolls, tools, and crafts as potential treasures of the community. They urged anyone who finds such items, regardless of age, to consult the division before disposing of them.

The prefecture aims to prevent the dispersal and disposal of cultural properties, including undesignated items, which often remain in private homes or storehouses and are not fully tracked by local governments. Post-disaster, cultural property rescue efforts have been crucial in preserving local heritage. In the aftermath of the Kumamoto Earthquake 10 years ago, 355 designated cultural properties were damaged, while the Agency for Cultural Affairs led efforts to rescue 47 sets, or 39,333 items, of undesignated cultural properties.

As of Aug. 13, Kumamoto Prefecture confirmed damage to 234 cultural properties following the latest earthquake, and they are currently consulting with the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage to establish a full-scale cultural property rescue system.