Project

Cultural heritage is constantly re-examined in terms of its value and role within communities. Even for World Cultural Heritage, which is based on an international convention, the criteria have been updated to reflect paradigms and strategies that consider cultural and social issues surrounding cultural heritage. The values, roles, and issues required for cultural heritage also reflect the history and culture of the society to which the cultural heritage site belongs and vary from region to region. Therefore, it is important to promote discussions that lead to the relativisation of paradigms to derive a vision for the future of cultural heritage that can be shared by various stakeholders.

Hiroshima University will organise workshop featuring the 1994 Nara Document on Authenticity to identify contemporary and future themes of cultural heritage. The Nara Document, a paradigm originating from Asia, expressed scepticism about the conventional trend of emphasising the preservation of the original condition at the time of foundation, a practice rooted in European tradition. Since its adoption, the Nara Document has updated the global World Heritage policy as well as discourses on cultural heritage globally.

In 2024, the Nara Document celebrates its 30th anniversary of adoption. Over the past 30 years, the cultural heritage has changed. Has the future of cultural heritage, as outlined in the Nara Document, been realised? What goals remain unmet? What will the next-generation cultural heritage paradigm look like? As we reach the 30th anniversary, we have a unique opportunity to discuss the future of cultural heritage sites. To clarify thematic issues regarding the cultural heritage featuring the Nara Document, it is necessary to bring together various stakeholders for discussion. This event will thus serve to reaffirm and widely share the significance of the Nara Document, highlighting perspectives from the “non-European” world. Additionally, this event could also serve as a prelude to future discussions toward the next milestone in the Nara Document, such as a major international conference scheduled in May 2025 in Kenya.

This event will be held in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Hiroshima is home to two World Cultural Heritage Sites: Itsukushima Shinto Shrine and Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome). These two cultural heritage sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996, shortly after the adoption of the Nara Document. The year 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of these sites’ inscription on the World Heritage List. These cultural heritage sites that embody values and issues after the Nara Document was adopted. Hiroshima, along with its World Cultural Heritage Sites, is an ideal location for hosting these discussions.

The workshop on recent experiences and issues within international and local cultural heritage communities regarding the application of the Nara Document will aim to:

1. Develop interdisciplinary dialogue and inter-regional cooperation through the exchange of experiences and reflections on the regionality and variability of cultural heritage and its role in the sustainable development of local communities.

2. Clarify regional and local priorities, needs, and challenges, as well as frame future work on cultural heritage, considering the characteristics of sites in Asia-Pacific and Africa.

3. Assess the practicality and degree of application of existing international paradigms at regional and community levels.

4. Reaffirm the significance of the existing paradigm and emphasise the importance of reflection in Asia and Africa.

5. Construct a vision of a future paradigm for cultural heritage, with a consensus for ongoing discussions that involve local perspectives and expertise.