Grant Activities

Comparative Study of Cultural Heritage Management

An international team of archaeologists and cultural heritage experts investigated how to develop heritage trails in Japan that would promote educational tourism and attract international interest. The unifying theme was Japan’s Jomon heritage, local culture and the environment. The scope of the project covered four areas: fieldwork to develop a heritage trail centered on an archaeological site, in an urban location; an international symposium on future management and operation of an archaeological site that is part of a World Heritage site; an international symposium on developing a heritage trail centered on an archaeological site located in a disaster-hit location; and a survey and its analysis, and examination of ways to communicate the contemporary significance of Jomon sites to the public.

Applying the Craft of Japanese Moku-Zogan to Malaysian Furniture Design

A group of industrial design students from Malaysia explored the world of Moku-Zogan, the traditional Japanese craft of cutting and intricately shaping different colored woods and forming inlaid murals on wooden surfaces. After visiting Japan to study techniques, they designed and manufactured furniture that brought distinctive mokuzogan technique into Malaysian concepts of furniture design. It encouraged a deeper understanding and appreciation of traditional crafts in a contemporary context.