Japanese cultural artifacts controversy

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Japan has been known as a "haven for stolen artifacts". Cultural assets from China, porcelain from Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines can be found in Japan. A vast majority of these issues are still unresolved with multiple countries like China, South Korea, North Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

[edit] Korea

In a summit meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea asked Japan to return stolen artifacts taken between 1910 and 1945. Japan has rejected this request. There are an estimated 200,000 Korean artifacts alone in Japan which cannot be designated as UNESCO world treasures until they are returned or proper protocol can be measured. The cultural bureau at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, said: ``I do not know much about North Korea, but in general, if a former colony requests the return of certain cultural assets, the former suzerain may be bound to comply. It is a moral obligation that is in accordance with the spirit of the UNESCO convention." In 1965, a treaty was signed between South Korea and Japan but this issue was not covered. However, Japan did return 1321 stolen articles to South Korea at that time.

Some advocates want an estimated 200,000 Korean artifacts in Japan to be designated as "UNESCO world treasures".^{[citation needed]} These advocates assert that these "stolen" artifacts must be "returned" to Korea. Many Korean historians still need to travel to Japan to study ancient Korean documents. Many Korean historians have requested permission to visit Japan to study ancient Korean documents, but have been denied visas.^{[citation needed]}

In a summit meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea asked Japan to return stolen artifacts taken between 1910 and 1945. Japan has rejected this request.^{[citation needed]}

Not until 1999, when Japanese Ambassador Koichiro Matsuura was appointed director-general of UNESCO, did Japan begin to give serious thought to signing the UNESCO convention agreement to return stolen artifacts.

Toshiyuki Kono, said:

"Signing the convention is a matter of proving your 'class' as a nation. Up to now, Japanese were sorely short on sensitivity. In their eyes, cultural assets were on par with general trade products. Japan did not feel they were protecting irreplaceable treasures." [1]

[edit] External links

• Japan will sign a convention to return stolen artifacts, but cultural affairs officials are skeptical

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