財団の事業目的 |Goals of the Foundation
(English Follows Japanese)
一、現在日本産の優れた「紙原料」が消滅しかかっています。そこで原料栽培を支援するとともに、古来日本の歴史文化を根底で支え続けてきた「日本のかみ」の真正な製造方法とそれによって得られる世界に類を見ない優れた保存性を有する「紙質」を絶やすことなく次世代へ継承する事業を展開いたします。
二、今現在世界中で、1850年頃以降の工業生産された酸性紙に拠る文書・図書などが消滅の危機に瀕しています。この保存修復のためには、上記一、によって生産される、保存性に優れた「日本のかみ」が必要不可欠なのです。
世界各地の緊急性の高い修復現場へ修復紙と修復技術を供給支援いたします。
三、世界の修復技術の中でも日本の伝統的な表装技術は大変利用価値の高いものです。そこでこの古典技術研鑽の場所と機会を設けて次世代の技術者養成と共に海外と技術協力や交流をします。
専門教習修復所「傳習館」を財団内に設けて民間所蔵品の修復支援をしてその過程を公開して高度な技術の標準化を目指します。それと共に失われつつある「紙、裂、墨」の文化を再検証してその保存啓蒙事業を行います。
上記のことを実施するための各種催事や事業も併せて行います。
世界の書物に記録された人類の歴史・記憶を後世に残すことは現代の責務です。その支援は世界に向けて日本が出来る大変良い文化貢献ですから出来る限り努力をしていきたいと思います。
Goals of the Foundation
1. Raw materials made in Japan needed for Japanese handmade paper are currently facing severe endangerment. In addition to supporting the production of these raw materials, we will make efforts to preserve genuine manufacturing methods of Japanese handmade paper, or kami*1 ,and the high quality of permanence achieved through it for future generations to inherit.
2. Documents and books around the world from the 1850’s onward consist of acid paper, and are now on the verge of extinction. The abovementioned Japanese handmade paper, superior in permanence, is essential for the repair of these documents and books.
We will voluntarily provide such paper for repair and technical guidance to institutes in the order of urgency.
3. Among the conservation and preservation methods of the world, traditional Japanese mounting techniques prove to be highly useful. We will create a venue and an opportunity for the study of these techniques to foster the next generation of technicians, and begin communication overseas.
An educational institute known as Denshukan*2 will be established within the foundation to provide repair for personal possessions. Our methods will be released to the public in order to standardize high quality practices. Relevant efforts will also be made to sustain the disappearing culture of Japanese paper, cloth, and sumi*3 .
We will carry out appropriate events and endeavors to achieve the above.
It is our duty to preserve the written records of mankind’s history and legacies. We believe Japan can make significant contributions in providing aid to this cause, and will strive to make all possible efforts.
*1 Kami かみ: We would like to use the term kami （かみ）when referring to the traditionally manufactured Japanese handmade paper that the foundation deals with. It is believed that the term kami originates from the word kaba, a reference to tree bark. Kami should be distinguished from the term washi（和紙）, which first emerged as an expression to differentiate Japanese paper from the Western paper that began to enter Japan in the Meiji era.
*2 Denshukan 傳習館: The name of our educational institute Denshukan is derived from the Chinese characters 傳(Den), meaning to hand down, and習(Shu), to learn. 館(Kan) is used for a facility established for a particular cause or program.
*3 Sumi 墨 : The Sumi we refer to is the dried solid mixture of soot, obtained from burning pine with rapeseed or other natural oils, and nikawa（膠）, a binding agent derived from animal bone or skin. A liquid form of nikawa was used during ancient times, but proved to be inefficient due to its perishability. This led to a dried solid form of the mixture which becomes usable by lightly grinding it against a stone with water. It should be distinguished from sumi sold today in a ready-to-use liquid form, which contain preservatives that prevent it from perishing.