Tohoku University Issues Reiwa 7 Cultural Heritage Bulletin, Showcases Fusuma Study

The Reiwa 7 (2025) Cultural Heritage Preservation and Restoration Research Center Bulletin, published by Tohoku University of Art and Design, compiles research papers and reports on heritage conservation and restoration.

One featured study examines a group of gold‑leaf polychrome fusuma paintings originally created for the Gakutō Chikurinbō sub‑temple of Tanzan Shrine in Nara. The works are now held by the British Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, and a private collection in Aomori, Japan. Conservators from the three institutions compared paper dimensions, frame components and matching scorch marks, confirming the pieces formed a single set and reconstructing their dispersal from the Taishō through the early Shōwa periods.