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Information was disseminated through class and field lectures which was further enhanced and validated through the experiences shared by participants/delegates who come from different Asian and the Pacific countries (Samoa, New Zealand, Thailand, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Iran, China, Vietnam and Pakistan). The representatives from these countries have articulately expressed their own practices in conservation and these were shared through formal presentations, through sharing and class discussions, and through informal discussions with the other members of the training programme. All these information is useful to heritage conservationists and architects alike, and to the different Asia and the Pacific countries, which have sent these representatives (mostly architects, archeologists and an engineer) to this training program.
Different Japanese cultural properties were visited during the training programme. These were the temples and shrines in Nara such as the Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Horyuji, Toshodaiji temples and the historic district of Ima-icho, the sake brewery building in Kobe, a mountain shrine in Nara, Takayama village in Gifu Prefecture, Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, and the Meiji-mura site in Aichi Prefecture. The participants were also given the chance to see the nearby cities and Dean Mananghaya visited Osaka, Kyoto (temples and shrines and Gion), the Imperial Hotel – a significant architecture of Frank Llyod Wright at the Meiji-mura, and architectural examples of Tadao Ando’s works – an architect/Pritzker |
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Photos of Todaiji Temple and the biggest Buddha in the world |
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Photos of Takayama City |
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Photos of Shirakawa-go Village |
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Photos of Meiji Mura buildings and the Imperial Hotel |
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Photos o Japanese modern architecture and Tadao Ando’s works |
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As several best practices in Japanese conservation and those learned from the other countries have been disseminated in the training programme, the value of this training centers on how the participants could re-articulate and enhance their knowledge on this field, primarily because of the significant information that was shared to them by professors who come from the Japanese government, from Japan’s professional sector and from ICCROM (International Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments, Rome, Italy), who are all expert specialists and who have extensive knowledge in the field of heritage conservation. Therefore, the information shared in the training could be applied and adapted to the conservation and management of heritage of the different countries in Asia and the Pacific.
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Photos of the training in ACCU Nara |
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The lectures did not center solely on wood conservation, but also addressed issues concerning heritage and culture conservation in general and about Japan’s practices in particular. Furthermore, it also focused on the Asian and Pacific practices in heritage conservation. The training was made more enriching as lectures were presented in class using various media and was also made available also through practical on-site hands-on work experiences. Since everyone who attended the training programme are directly involved in the field of heritage conservation, they were able to share their own knowledge on the issues presented, according to their own experiences.
The different types of architecture found in Japan, ranging from those made of wood, to those made of brick and stone, were comprehensively studied. Wood being the prime building material used in Japanese architecture for centuries, is a theme worth focusing on in this training programme, as the Japanese have started with their wood conservation practices at a very early stage. Knowing the delicateness and importance of their traditional architecture, which is primarily made of wood, the Japanese have developed their own way of conservation techniques, which have been enhanced and improved through centuries of experience, as they have constantly faced several challenges in their preservation work. The numerous lectures that have focused on issues pertaining to wood as a building material in Japan and in other Asian and the Pacific countries were very valuable and worth comprehending.
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Photos of Japanese wooden architecture |
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Therefore, application of the lectures presented in this training programme and the best practices learned from Japanese architecture and its conservation techniques is directly seen and understood in the way that some aspects of the architecture of Asia and the Pacific is similar to that of the Japanese. This is in relation to the use of wood as a building material.
Some aspects of the Japanese method of wood conservation is related to that of the Philippines, particularly as some features of Philippine wooden architecture are similar to that of Japan’s. Likewise, some features non-wooden heritage buildings of Japan show similarities to the features of non-wooden heritage buildings in the Philippines. This is shown in the manner of use of the same materials (either brick or stone or combined with wood) and in the building construction techniques therein applied. Therefore, some aspects of the conservation methods that Japan employ for their heritage structures, are also similar to that of the Philippines.
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Photos of Ifugao house |
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Nevertheless, there are features that are characteristic only to Philippine architecture which, are not found in Japanese architecture. These differences are primarily attributed to the difference in the culture of the two countries and the geographical location of the two countries. These differences in the geographical location have similarly resulted to differences in the arrival of external influences to these two countries, affecting the development of the architecture.
Differences in architecture seen between the two countries are particular linked to the specific characteristics of the environmental conditions of the two countries in relation to their geographical locations, which in turn affect climatic, geologic and biologic conditions (flora and fauna) of each country. These are factors fundamental in the development of specific architectures found in these places. It is important to note that the different external influences that have affected both countries, have greatly aided in the development of the different building styles found therein.
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Photos of Philippine churches |
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Photos of Spanish Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines in Japan |
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The various approaches to conservation and the challenges faced by Japan and the Philippines present examples of contextual conservation that result from the culture differences of the two countries. Despite these differences in conservation approaches and the challenges that both countries are experiencing in this field, their governments and conservation specialists alike, strive hard to hurdle the task of ensuring the protection of the values of their heritage, in their authentic and integrated form, so that the next generations could use, appreciate and interpret them in a manner that is still possible.
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