Foreign Student (hereinafter, FS): Including the Nobel Prize, there are several global awards that recognize individual’s outstanding achievements. Are there any similar prizes in Japan? Teacher (hereinafter, T): There are many different prizes and among these the most highly regarded are the recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit. This award is given to those who have greatly contributed to cultural development and progress in the fields of scientific technology or art. The People’s Honor Award is also a prestigious prize that is given to those who have achieved outstanding results, making them loved by the people for their positive contribution to society. The majority of recipients are athletes who’ve set remarkable records or people who have made a long-standing contribution to the world of culture and entertainment. FS: I’ve heard the word “living national treasure.” How is this different from other awards? T: This is the common term, but the formal name is the holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Asset. It is divided into the fields of entertainment, and arts and crafts, and the number of holders is over 100. The field of entertainment includes kabuki, bunraku, music, noh, dance and other performance arts. The field of arts and crafts includes (fabric) dying, ceramics, lacquer, metalwork, and dolls. FS: How is it different from the Order of Culture? T: The Order of Culture is given to those who have made outstanding achievements, while Living National Treasures are recognized for having mastered a “skill.” Living National Treasures are only designated as being people with these skills who were born and raised in Japan. FS: What kind of people are chosen? T: Well, for example, in kabuki, a traditional form of Japanese theatre, only men are able to perform. Female roles are also performed by men. BANDO Tamasaburo is known for being a great actor who specializes in female roles. Though Tamasaburo is taller than the average Japanese women, it is said that his gestures are more feminine than a woman’s, and for this he is highly regarded. FS: Is the living national treasure system unique to Japan? T: That’s right. Since this is a unique system, people from foreign countries, most particularly European countries, come to Japan to observe it in practice. In 1994, France emulated Japan by establishing their own living national treasure organization. FS: Are there any problems with the living national treasure system? T: The Japanese government grants a yearly subsidy of two million yen to holders, but some people say it is not enough to maintain these skills and to cover the necessary expenses to train a successor. Another problem is that it is not easy to train a successor. In addition, questions have been raised regarding the methods for assessing living national treasures. Some say that in the future the living national treasure system should take into account global intangible cultural heritage.