Who Moved My Masterpiece? Digital Reproduction, Replacement, and the Vanishing Cultural Heritage of Kyoto

Abstract

Abstract:In many temples in and around Kyoto, sets of wall and slide door paintings and folding screen paintings, which are designated either national treasures or important cultural properties of Japan, have been replaced in situ by high-quality digital reproductions. The original paintings, in turn, are now largely out of sight, placed in storage spaces within temples and museums. Vanguard projects of this nature were conducted in the mid-1990s. Since the mid-2000s, however, and without adequate review of the merits and demerits of such replacement, the practice has accelerated, and numerous sets of slide door paintings have been replaced by reproductions produced for the most part by two competing corporations. The process and implication of such digital replacement require far greater attention and discussion than has to date taken place. Accordingly, this article seeks to clarify the current status of, and problems arising from, the digitization projects taking place in and around Kyoto.