On the Preservation and Utilization of Japanese Cultural Heritage from a Legal Regulation Perspective——The Establishment of Cultural Property Protection System in Japan before WWII

Today the legal regulation on cultural heritage protection in Japan is founded on the establishment of cultural property protection system before WWII. This paper reviews the history of cultural heritage protection and its legal regulation revisions in Japan, and discusses the background, features, contents and significance of the cultural property protection regulation in Japan from the perspective of the development of cultural property protection system, affirming the positive effects produced by this system in the preservation and utilization of cultural heritage in Japan.