일본의 무형민속문화재의 속성과 문제점

Abstract

This paper aimed at investigating the attributes and problems of intangible folk culture assets of Japan in terms of the legal basis. The domain “intangible folk　cultural assets” is set apart from the “intangible cultural assets” in the cultural-assets system of Japan. “Something in which life culture is expressed well”, and “something in which the artistic process of change has appeared well” are given as evaluation standards for the designation. As a matter of fact, these standards are reflecting the “folklore” and “the changes process of folk customs”, which the academic circles of Japanese folklore have traditionally regarded as subjects of research. Although the basics of Japanese culture are of foreign cultural origin, the academic circles of Japanese folklore have constantly disregarded the cultural genealogical relationship of Japan with the rest of East Asia. They also have studied folk customs only in the restricted category of “Japan.” Similarly, relevance with the East Asia folk customs is underestimated in the evaluation standards of the designation of intangible folk cultural assets. The policy for folk cultural assets of Japan should be promoted from a Pan-Asian point of view.