The Council for Protecting Gardens Designated as Cultural Properties

　What is a garden designated as a cultural property? 

In general, a garden designated as a cultural property is a garden that has value as a cultural property, and is designated and protected by the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties and ordinances. A garden is generally designated as a scenic site in the category of cultural properties, and is sometimes also designated as a historic site that holds historic value.  

The historic style of Japanese gardens has evolved through giving symbolic meaning to, and introducing the natural beauty of the national landscape formed by Japanese climates, into the limited space of a garden. For that reason, a scenic garden can be considered a cultural asset as landscape.  

The Council for Protecting Gardens Designated as Cultural Properties is a member organization, consisting of the owners and administrators of gardens designated as scenic sites by the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. In recent years, the owners and administrators of registered monuments in the category of Japanese scenic sites have also joined as members. These gardens can be referred to as “scenic gardens” that represent Japan.  

A system for protecting gardens as cultural properties originated with the Law for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments enacted in 1919. Under this law, the three categories of monuments are: historic sites, places of scenic beauty, and natural monuments. In 1950, to enhance the government’s efforts to protect cultural properties, the Law for the Preservation of Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments was integrated with other laws, including the Law for the Preservation of National Treasures. Thus, the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties was created. According to the announcement of the Commission for the Protection of Cultural Properties in 1951, scenic sites are “indispensable for Japan’s exceptional beauty of landscape. Scenic sites altered by human beings, such as gardens and parks, should have high artistic and academic value.” Also, according to the announcement, “Special Places of Scenic Beauty are scenic sites with exceptionally high value.”  

As of April 1, 2019, designated national scenic sites under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties included 217 gardens (24 special places of scenic beauty) and 10 parks. The Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties was revised in 1996 and the system of registered cultural properties was created. Under this system, the majority of registered monuments related to scenic sites are gardens. As of April 1, 2019, 74 properties were registered.