The visual definition of heritage: The restoration of domestic rural architecture in Japan 1

The paper presents an analysis of 109 restoration reports of Japanese farmhouses from the Edo period (1603–1867) that have been classified as part of the nation's architectural heritage and repaired with government funds. After reviewing farmhouse conservation in Western countries and the growth of parallel interests in Japan, the discussion focusses on the principles and practices of farmhouse restoration as documented in the reports. On this basis the paper argues that restored farmhouses often serve as status symbols for elite families of the contemporary local hierarchies and that, more generally, they constitute a visual representation of a sanitized tradition in which feudal relations and peasant existence are idealized and romanticized. Viewing farmhouse conservation as a form of visual ideology expressing dominant class interests, the paper concludes by suggesting a theoretical linkage between heritage conservation, domestic tourism, and the symbolism of nationalism.