Global On-Site Training Program for Young Researchers on the Protection of Cultural Heritage and Art Work

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Reports by ITP Participants

Reports from Participants in FY 2009


Masahiro SHIROTSUKIPostdoctoral Fellow, Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Reseach Organization, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryThis project was undertaken in one of the most historical villages in UK. The primal objective was to figure out an effect of personal 'Sense of Place' on their behaviour for conserving historical and cultural buildings.
 International workshop organizing: 2
 Workshop presentation: 2
 Invited lecture: 1
 Paper submission: 1


Woong CHOIPostdoctoral Fellow, Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Reseach Organization, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryI made a virtual avatar with motion data and did a research on generation of character animation on the heritage of CG Pompey. Also this character animation is designed to use Japanese Traditional Performaing Arts such as Noh, Nihonbuyo. I also studied how to build 3D CG building models and character animation on Second Life (SL). A performance such as Noh can be desplayed on SL which was made as the summarized result of 3 months.
The result of 2 researches can be indicated as follows. 1, I can indecated high-quality character animation with motion data on the heritage of CG Pompey. 2, We set ourselves the task to record and collate Japanese Traditional Performing Arts, motion data and audio recordings. I developed a pipeline method to create a real-time animation by combining motion and sound within their context. For this, we specifically focused on assets from Utaura of Noh.


Xin YINPostdoctoral Fellow, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryAs a part of constructing degital museum system, I developed a interface to permit users efficiently and easily to watch and to operate 3D objects based on a semi-3D display named Cubee which consists of 5 displays. This display was developed by the MAGIC Lab. in University of British Columbia (Canada). I also developed the technologies which can show virtual tactile sensation when users touch the surface of virtual objects.
The research results about virtual tactile sensation were submitted to some international conferences and were accepted as a conference paper. The 3D objects operation interface as a part of the research results of visited MAGIC Lab. will be apprear in some famous international conference exhibitions.


Masae KURAHASHIPostdoctoral Fellow, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryMy reserach at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) was firstly to study prints of the Utagawa school in possession of the MFA. I especially focused on the actor prints by Utagawa Kunisada. Secondly I checked the digital data of the kabuki banzuke (illustrated playbills) which I and Professor Ryo Akama digitalized in 2007. I analyzed about 3,000 prints and collected the information in a databese while I continued my work on further prints. So the number of prints in the database which I have cataloged at MFA from 2005 became about 8,000 prints in total. These data were merged with a search system of the MFA and send all over the world.


Kumie NAKANO1st year of the doctoral program, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryThe activities during my staying Taiwan are followeing 4 points;
  1. To attend the doctoral course, college of design at Yun Tech University.

  2. To give lectures related to case study of cultural heritage protection and disaster management in master course, college of design at Yun Tech University.

  3. To do field studies related to disaster mitigation for cultural heritage in the center part of Taiwan.

  4. To do experiment related to Disaster Imagination Game by using real cultural heritage site.

During my researching in Taiwan, I collaborated with Yuntech University, and local NGOs, held Workshops named DIG (Disaster Imagination Gamea). In the process of preparing the workshops, I realized that Taiwan also has several unique workshop methods, and those methods have already used for more than 10 years. Each workshop method created different results, and supported by different kind of NGOs and government organization. Each method has different strong point and weak point. That the reason why, now I compromised those workshop method. Then I held experimental workshop by using another workshop method in cultural heritage site. It seems that the result of the workshop changed awareness of local inhabitant, and now I am still keep on doing hearing survey to make out how much change was happen to local inhabitants. Now the voice of local inhabitants and Yuntech University seem to encourage me to keep on doing this research.


Ryoko MATSUBAPostdoctoral Fellow, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryAt SOAS, the University of London, I organized a workshop as an ITP fellow, where we discussed the importance of digitizing ukiyo-e, and information processing to interpret image culture. At the Honolulu Academy of Arts, I identified about 400 actor prints which were produced in the early nineteenth century. These data went public by their databese (e-Museum).
Firstly, I made an oral presentation at the workshop at SOAS. Secondly, I gave a talk on the relationship between Ukiyo-e and Kabuki at the Center for Japanese Studies, the University of Hawaii. Finally, I gave a talk to theatrical-major students in the same university about local theatres in Japan.


Chise SAITO1st year of the doctoral program, Graduate School of Letters, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryDuring the period of ITP program, having a hub of activity in London at the University of London, I ran a digitization of the Ukiyo-e collection which takes part in the British Museum.
And I did a research beyond the borders of the home institution in London to encompass in Italy. For example, I conducted interviews with the representatives in the cultural institutions in Italy that preserved a Japanese art collection and harvesting study-related materials. In particular, at the Oriental Art Museum of Venice I collaborated with a young researcher belonging to the University of Venice Ca' Foscari in the work of digitalization.
As one of the fruits produced by the period of ITP program, Matsuba, my collegeague and I organized and held the international workshop in the University of London. At the same time I made an oral presentation together with an Italian scholar. After that I rerutned to Japan and I submitted a paper to Japan Art Documentation Society.


Atsuko OYA1st year of the doctoral program, Graduate School of Letters, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryFor the digitization of the Mkino Mamoru Collection at Columbia University, I identified that the materials of the important hand written documents, photos, posters and other materials except for books with the archivist and librarian.
I presented the outline of the materials that was thought important in the collection in the library. And we talked about the value of the materials in the collection and problems of the digitization. Especially to the pre-war materials, we agreed on the suggestion that we can digitize the handwritten scenarios and manuscripts, flyers, photos in the albums. I got the positive impression about the digitization from the library staff.


Shinya SAITOPostdoctoral Fellow, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryI developed a Web interface to remote-control the Cubee system [developed by MAGIC researchers, which is a hardware for browsing 3D computer graphics]. Moreover, by taking advices from researchers of MAGIC, I implemented some functions of KACHINA CUBE system which I developed.
The results can be divided into two. The first one is the system development, and the second one is the research exchange. The former is an accomplishment of the basic part of Cubee's remote-control system over the Internet and function enhancement of KACHINA CUBE system, the letter is success of research exchange with researchers and students in the University of British Columbia, the Clark University and the University of Alberta.


Kanako SAKURAI1st year of the doctoral program, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University
Brief SummaryI did research about 1200 Statues of the Buddha in all the temples in Luang Prabang World Heritage Buddhism city in Laos in order to find out their whereabouts by comparing with the data 10 years ago because some of the statues of the Buddha in the temples, as movable properties, have been missing.
I also conducted a listening comprehension from the temples' concerned about the supervision system to find ou problems on a protection against desasters and a prevention of crime.
There are 49 buildings having the care of movable cultural properties in Luang Prabang district and I found out that the missing rate is the highest in the situation of the statues being opened to the public without any prevention of crime and supervision system to go public. This is the first result for this research about the missing movable properties of all the temples in this district in Laos and this is the big issue that the most of habitants never expect any disasters or crimes.