This archival photo captures Mr Katsuhiko Masuda in action during hands-on training at the "Workshop: Conservation of Oriental Art on Paper," held in Rome in 1982. More than a snapshot, it represents the start of an incredible journey in cross-cultural knowledge exchange and technical prowess in heritage conservation.
A specialist from the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Masuda was seconded by the Japanese Government to UNESCO — and subsequently to ICCROM — to share his expertise in traditional techniques of restoration of oriental art objects on paper with Western conservators.
The initiative began with two groundbreaking workshops in Venice in 1981. These not only introduced Japanese conservation techniques to Western professionals but also supported the restoration of the Museum of Oriental Art's collections — contributing to UNESCO’s larger campaign to safeguard Venice’s cultural heritage.
The success of these first Venice sessions led to four more workshops at ICCROM in Rome in 1982, bringing together highly qualified participants from major institutions across Europe and the Americas. Due to overwhelming demand, the agreement with Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties was extended through 1984, creating space for two additional workshops at ICCROM.
Masuda’s influence continued to spread. After the conclusion of the Rome-based courses, ICCROM partnered with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. to host a similar workshop conducted by Masuda — further broadening the global reach of Japanese conservation techniques.
In 1985, building on this momentum, ICCROM launched a regular training programme in Rome called Conservation of Paper Objects Course, with Masuda continuing as one of the instructors. Additional courses were later held in Austria and Chile.
This foundation laid the groundwork for a long-standing partnership. Since 1992, ICCROM and Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties have jointly organized regular international courses on Japanese paper conservation in Tokyo and Kyoto. A new International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper - JPC 2025 will be organized in Tokyo from 25 August to 12 September 2025.
Inspired by this success, a new initiative took root in Latin America. The International Course on Paper Conservation in Latin America: Meeting East, a key regional training platform, launched in 2012 — co-organized by ICCROM, Mexico’s the National Coordination for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (CNCPC-INAH) of the National Institute of Anthropology and History, and the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. Now in its ninth edition, the upcoming session of Meeting East will be held in Mexico City from 12 to 26 November 2025.
For over 40 years, interest in the Japanese tradition of paper conservation has steadily grown within the international conservation community. In response, ICCROM, in collaboration with Japanese institutions, has played a key role in promoting and sharing this invaluable knowledge — not only through training, but also through research and international cooperation.
Interested in learning more? Documentation and course materials from these courses are available for researchers at the ICCROM Archives.