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The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage considers the manufacture of musical instruments, techniques for their repair, the manufacture of tools necessary for the production of the instruments and repair techniques, as well as the manufacture of materials necessary for these as important restoration techniques to support the traditional performing arts of Japan and has been conducting investigation since 2017. Production of Noh stage costume was investigated for the first time as a technique for preserving the performing arts. In addition, as a report on the current situation regarding the stable securing of raw materials, the reeds of Kanmaki and Udono were included as a topic. The present report is a sequel to “Investigation Report on Techniques for Preserving Cultural Properties with Focus on Musical Instruments 1” and provides an outline of 7 cases of investigation conducted from June to December 2021. Japan, according to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, has a system by which preservation techniques are selected, and holders and holding groups of these techniques are recognized. However, the present investigation has been done on the holders and holding groups that are considered important regardless of selection or recognition. The content of investigation is arranged into the following 7 items and categorized according to instruments for ordering of information: 1. Name of the holder, 2. Date of birth, 3. Address or place of investigation, 4. Date of investigation, 5. Investigator, 6. Outline of the holder of technique, 7. Observation of the investigator. This year, as in the previous year, many conservation techniques for cultural properties were greatly influenced by Covid-19, and the necessity for investigation was felt all the more. However it was not possible to investigate as scheduled due to the prevention of the wide spread of the pandemic. Continuous attention to both the current state of conservation technology and the impact of Covid-19 is needed.

Our previous studies (https://osf.io/ab9hg) revealed that a person wearing a transparent mask with a polyethylene sheet terephthalate covering the mouth evoked eerie impressions. This might stem from the frequency of encountering the transparent mask. We test this hypothesis.

Our previous study (https://osf.io/nzwpq) did not find salient differences in influences on age estimation between the upper and lower features of a face. In the previous study, we presented facial stimuli until subjects have completed their estimation. Unlike the previous study, the upper and lower features might differently affect age estimation in the case of short presentation duration. To examine temporal characteristics of the influences of the upper and lower features of a face on age estimation, the present study will manipulate presentation durations of face stimuli, which are partially covered by a surgical mask, sunglass, or nothing, and confirm how this manipulation will modulate age estimation.

Our previous study (https://osf.io/ab9hg) revealed that a person wearing a mask with a printed mouth (smiling mask) was evaluated more eerily than the one wearing a typical cloth mask and the one without a mask. We also found that the eeriness score was higher in the typical-mask condition than in the no-mask condition. These findings were based on an experiment, where the mask condition is a within-subject factor, and hence it is possible that one condition affected the others. Thus, the present study will conduct a replication, where the mask condition is a between-subject factor, unlike the previous study.

Our previous study (https://osf.io/ab9hg) revealed that a person wearing a mask with a printed mouth (smiling mask) was evaluated more eerily than the one wearing a transparent mask, in which a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate covers the mouth, and the one without a mask. We also found that the eeriness score was higher in the transparent condition than in the no-mask condition. These findings were based on an experiment, where the mask condition is a within-subject factor, and hence it is possible that one condition affected the others. Thus, the present study will conduct a replication, where the mask condition is a between-subject factor, unlike the previous study.

We examined the impression of persons wearing a mask with a printed mouth (smiling mask) and found that they evoked strong unpleasantness and eeriness. The current study will investigate emotional impressions of persons wearing a transparent mask, in which a sheet of a polyethylene terephthalate covers around a mouth, and thus the mouth is visible. We hypothesized that the realism consistency between facial parts should be high in the transparent mask condition and thus persons wearing the transparent mask will evoke less unpleasantness and eeriness compared with those wearing the smiling mask.

We will examine the effect of the mask’s color on facial impressions. Subjects will be asked to rate how preferable a face with a color mask is. We hypothesized that preference for the face with a color mask will be based on familiarity: Faces with the familiar-color mask is more preferable (for the details, see Hypotheses section). In addition, as exploratory investigations, they will be asked to rate the degrees of healthiness, chicness, and impression of the face with a color mask.

The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage considers the manufacture of musical instruments, techniques for their repair, the manufacture of tools necessary for the production of the instruments and repair techniques, as well as the manufacture of materials necessary for these as important restoration techniques to support the traditional performing arts of Japan and has been conducting investigation since 2017. The present report is a sequel to “Investigation Report on Techniques for Preserving Cultural Properties with Focus on Musical Instruments 1” and provides an outline of 13 cases of investigation conducted from April to October 2019. Of these those that have not been investigated sufficiently up to this point are listed as topics. Japan, according to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties has a system by which preservation techniques are selected and holders and holding groups of these techniques are recognized. However, in this investigation, investigation has been done on the holders and holding groups that are considered important regardless of selection or recognition. The content of investigation are arranged into the following 7 items and categorized according to instruments for ordering of information: (1)Name of the holder, (2)Date of birth, (3)Address or place of investigation, (4)Date of investigation, (5)Investigator, (6)Outline of the holder of technique, (7)Observation of the investigator. Cases requested by the First Cultural Division of the Department of Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs are included in this report and information is shared with the Agency upon agreement from the interviewee. In addition, “4. Investigation in Korea” presents a part of the overseas research interchange that the Department conducts with the National Intangible Cultural Center of the Republic of Korea. It is published in Japanese and Korean after obtaining agreement from the interviewee.

The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has continued investigation of techniques for preserving cultural properties since 2017, particularly of manufacturing and restoring musical instruments as well as those of making tools necessary for manufacture and repair and producing raw materials, considering them to be of importance in supporting traditional performing arts of Japan. The present report is a sequel to Investigation Report on Techniques for Preserving Cultural Properties with Focus on Musical Instruments 1 and provides an outline of 15 investigation reports conducted from June to November 2018. Under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties there is a system in which persons and groups of people holding such techniques are selected. However, in this investigation holders of such techniques, whether they are selected or not, have been chosen limiting the contents of investigation to the following 7 items, categorized them according to musical instruments and provided information for each holder: (1) name of the person holding the technique; (2) year of birth; (3) address; (4) date of investigation; (5) investigator; (6) outline of the person holding the technique; and (7) opinion of the investigator. This report includes subjects that were investigated upon request from the Traditional Culture Division of the Cultural Properties Department, Agency for Cultural Affairs. With these, information is shared with the Agency upon acquiring acknowledgment from the persons investigated