The sad news of the passing of Dr Nobuo Ito, at the age of 90, has reached ICCROM. Dr Ito was a distinguished professional, whose contribution to the Japanese conservation field as well as to development of international conservation concepts has been well recognized. Indeed, one of Ito’s particular merits could be seen in his keen working towards improved communication between East and West.
Dr Ito graduated from the Department of Architecture, University of Tokyo, in 1947. After graduation, he started to work for the Tokyo National Museum, becoming Director of the Department of Architecture. Subsequently, he was first Chief Inspector at the Cultural Properties Protection Department, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, and after retirement Director-General of the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties. He actively sustained the Japanese Association for ‘Machinami’ Conservation and Regeneration, and started, from 1977, a series of yearly International Symposia on the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property. He taught at the Kobe Design University, where he became Professor Emeritus. He was accredited as Bunkakorosha (a person of Cultural Merits) in Japan on account of his important contributions to the field of preservation of cultural properties throughout his life.
Dr Ito was member of the Council of ICCROM from 1983 to 1990, serving on the Finance and Programme Committee, and the Standards and Training Committee. In this way, he gave important contributions to the development of ICCROM’s policies, and particularly its training strategies. Ito promoted the collaboration of ICCROM and Japan in the organization of training, particularly in the conservation of wooden architecture and paper conservation. He supported invitations to ICCROM staff members and experts to participate in professional events in Japan with the scope of exchanging information and knowledge in conservation philosophy. For several years, he lectured on ICCROM’s international courses such as the Wood Course in Norway. He was executive member of ICOMOS Japan from 1987 to 1993. He was nominated Honorary Member of ICOMOS in 2005, and received the prestigious Gazzola Award of ICOMOS in 2011.
Dr Ito contributed to Japan’s ratification of the World Heritage Convention in 1992, and was the organizer and one of the keynote speakers in the International Expert Conference on Authenticity in Nara, Japan in 1994. The resulting Nara Document on Authenticity has been recognized as a new paradigm in international conservation policies, particularly related to World Heritage.
Jukka Jokilehto