History and organization
History
In 1985, the then Prefectural Governor made a request to Kumamoto University to examine the relocation of its campuses. After a series of deliberations within the university, it was eventually decided in 1993 that redevelopment on the sites would be carried out. However, not long after the commencement of the redevelopment project and during construction work in the Kurokami-minami area in October 1993, the Culture Department, Kumamoto City Board of Education pointed out that the Kurokami area, as well as some other areas, had been designated as sites containing buried cultural properties as of April 1, 1993. After requesting the department to drill the scheduled work site, it was found that excavation was necessary prior to almost all of the construction work. As a result, it became an urgent matter to establish an independent university investigatory organization to swiftly promote the redevelopment project. Organizations were established and a responsibility-taking system commenced through collaboration with the Archaeology Laboratory in the Faculty of Literature. This lead to the establishment of the Buried Cultural Properties Investigating Committee and the Archaeological Operation Center, whose task it was to carry out excavations and investigations.
On April 7, 1994, the regulations of Kumamoto University Buried Cultural Properties Investigating Committee were established, followed by the setting up of the committee and then the Archaeological Operation Center. On May 16, 1994, the Committee members were commissioned, and the Operation Center Manager, researchers and assistant administrative staff assumed their positions and the Operation Center started working officially.
On October 1, 2011, these organizations were designated as inter-departmental education and research centers, and became ʻKumamoto University Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties ʼ.
The center has been in charge of sites within campuses prior to redevelopment ever since.
Kumamoto University Protective Measures for Buried Cultural Properties
Organization of Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties (As of April 1, 2023)
| Director of the Center | Professor of Literature | Hidenaga Arai |
| Full-time faculty member | Associate Professor | Yukiko Otsubo |
| Assistant Professor | Akito Shinzato | |
| Assistant Professor | Kenyojiro Yamano | |
| Technical Assistant | Buried Cultural Property investigator |
Yuuki Shino |
Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties Steering Committee (As of April 1, 2023)
| Chairperson | Hidenaga Arai | Director of Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties |
| Committee members |
Yukiko Otsubo | Associate Professor, Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties |
| Akito Shinzato | Assistant Professor, Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties |
|
| Kenyojiro Yamano | Assistant Professor, Research Center for Buried Cultural Properties |
|
| Tomoaki Ninohira | Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education |
|
| Hiroki Obata | Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
|
| Yohei Shibuya | Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
|
| Nobutatsu Mochizuki | Associate Professor, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology |
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| Ryuichi Yoshitake | Associate Professor, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology |
|
| Takaichi Fukuda | Professor, Faculty of Life Sciences |
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| Takeshi Ohno | Associate Professor, Faculty of Life Sciences |
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| Koji Sugimura | Associate Professor, Faculty of Life Sciences |
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| Seiji Okada | Professor, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection |
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| Toshiro Takasaki | Manager, Facilities Management division, Administrative Office |