Kyoto Seeks Intangible Cultural Heritage Status for Period Drama Craft

Traditional Japanese period drama production techniques are being nominated for registration as national intangible cultural property. A survey report released by Kyoto Prefecture, titled "Survey Report on the Academic Evaluation of Period Dramas," shows the techniques encompass various production crafts passed down at Kyoto filming studios, aiming to provide a visual assessment from an academic perspective. The report cites actor Kinya Kitaoji's recollection of first wearing kimono and hakama when appearing in the film "Oyaji to Taka" (literally "Father and Son Hawk") as a child, and learning etiquette from senior actors. The report was supervised by the Film Culture Creation Support Center of the Kyoto Museum of Culture, though the cited comments fall outside that scope.

In recent years, period drama production has fallen sharply due to rising costs and changing times, while practitioners skilled in props, action direction, costumes and wigs are aging, putting traditional master-apprentice succession at risk. In 2024, the American streaming series "Shogun" won awards including Best Drama at the Emmy Awards, drawing attention for its Japanese production methods and involvement of artisans. In 2025, the film "Samurai Time Traveler" won Best Picture at the Japan Academy Film Prize; set against a Kyoto period drama studio, the independently produced film achieved box-office success and raised public awareness of the genre.

The registered intangible cultural property system was established in 2021 through an amendment to the Cultural Property Protection Act. Calligraphy, flower arrangement and Kyoto cuisine are among lifestyle cultural properties already registered, but no performing arts category has yet been registered. Kyoto Prefecture, home to Toei and Shochiku studios and long a center of period drama production, is actively pursuing the application. The region also hosts the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, a young talent development program under the Kyoto Historical International Film Festival, which annually invites game creators and animators from around the world to period drama production workshops; the director of episode eight of "Shogun" previously participated. In 2026, plans call for continuing work to clarify the definition of cultural property and the preservation groups involved.

Overseas interest in and appreciation of Japanese period dramas remains strong. In 2018, the BBC ranked Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" first in its list of the 100 greatest foreign-language films of all time, with "Tokyo Story" and "Rashomon" placing third and fourth respectively. The traditional Japanese values and ethics of honesty and honor depicted in period dramas are a key factor in their appeal to overseas audiences, and the genre is regarded as a cultural tool for deepening understanding of Japan.