Preserving intangible heritage in Japan: the role of the iemoto system.

Abstract

Many forms of Japan’s intangible heritage, including its three ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’, are headed by hereditary masters called iemoto. This paper examines the iemoto system as it relates to the exclusive rights of the iemoto. Through case studies taken mainly from the traditions of the tea ceremony, Nōgaku, and Kabuki, the state of Japanese art traditions under the said system is also discussed. Although the iemoto system is shown to be authoritarian in various ways, it has also played a crucial role in the preservation of intangible heritage in Japan.