National Treasury: Creation of cultural property at Meiji period

Abstract

This article analyzes the creation of the National Treasure, the most important cultural heritage in Japan. The majority of the National Treasure are art works, which represents the peculiarities of the Japanese policy of preserving cultural heritage. Therefore, this article intends to reveal the development of the National Treasury concept and analyze the origin of its particularity, from the beginning of the protection of ancient objects until the publication of the first law, occurred in the Meiji period.