Human has made great progress beyond the speed of biological evolution by using tools. First, human used stones and wood as tools for hunting and gathering, and then invented earth-baked earthenware such as bowls for food, appropriate to farming life. The defects of woodenware and earthenware, however, were obvious. It was not able to contain liquid due to their moisture absorbency, and easily damaged. Earthenware has evolved into glazed ceramic but it required a high-tech kiln with high temperature, accompanied by a technology for metal refining as a key prerequisite. In East Asia, moisture proof and insect proof techniques to coat objects were invented much earlier. That is lacquer technique.\nProduction process of lacquer is delicate and complicated such as handling lacquer sap at the risk of skin disease, creating hot and humid environment for hardening process, etc. Nevertheless, in East Asia, people have used lacquer technique in many regions from the Neolithic Age, knowing its merits earlier on. Lacquer was used for adhesive and surface protection of leather, earthenware, ceramics and metalware. In particular, it has been inextricably linked to wooden objects. Whereas in West Asia and Europe various varnishes mixed with dry oil and resin has been used, in East Asia lacquer was used as a basic varnish in common. That shows that lacquer is great material and technique to represent the commonality of Asian culture.1) This article aims to briefly look into the origin of lacquer technique in Northeast Asia and share the information on it and its current status of transmission.

On 2 April 2019, the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) received text messages from a former employee who was traveling in Croatia. She had glanced into a Max Mara boutique in Zagreb and noticed patterns on clothing that looked exactly like those of the Oma ethnic group. TAEC staff recognized these designs immediately, as the organization has been working with Nanam Village, the largest Oma community in Laos, since 2011. TAEC has trained and worked with Oma women to create and sell products based on their craft skills, and conducted research on traditional Oma music, which is showcased in TAEC’s special exhibition, “Voices of the Wind: Traditional Instruments in Laos.”

The National Archives of Korea (NAK) currently has in its collection approximately 320,000 pieces of audiovisual material (audio, video, photos), of which audio and video materials make up 70,000 pieces, ranging from broadcast media from the ‘60s to the latest digital files. Table 1 presents figures on the physical media and media type (tapes, films) etc. of the audio and video materials in the NAK’s collections. In more recent years, audio and video materials produced as digital files from their inception have been transferred to the NAK and showing a steady increase in number. This report looks at the considerations to be made in the long term preservation of audio and video materials while introducing the long term preservation methods used at the NAK.

Since the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was initiated in 1946 to promote world peace and development based on international understanding and cooperation, there have been continuous efforts to safeguard cultural heritage of humanity. However, it is undeniable that tangible cultural heritage, which includes natural and cultural heritage, received greater emphasis than intangible heritage. The Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage adopted in 2003 in Paris ("2003 Convention" hereinafter) is regarded as a milestone that changed the historical perception and marked a turning point.

"To the Pacific islanders, the waters that separate them are also a factor that connects them. Bearing this in mind, the four themes in this section offer a glimpse into the need to hold mastery over the sea for survival—for the fish that sustain the people and for the creation of pathways to connect them. Through extensive interisland trade, the ocean pathways maintain and sustain relationships for political, social, educational, economic, and most of all, spiritual benefits. \nIn “Palauan Knowledge of the Sea,” for example, we see how extensive methods and nuances of fishing and oceanic knowledge are part of both the livelihood and identity of Palauans. Similarly, by examining the Yapese knowledge related to canoes and ocean voyaging, we can see the effects and importance of inherited know-how on the connected lives of Micronesians through the ages and today. In these and all the themes in this section, we see how expressions by custodians of cultural know-how and development of sophisticated navigational systems have allowed Pacific islanders to travel safely and interact with the ocean and each other. Pacific navigation is perhaps one of the most singular human achievements of humanity. "

"While the artistic heritage of the Pacific is no doubt rich and representative of its cultures, it is more than merely something to be gazed upon and admired. Rather, Pacific art is both functional and symbolic of deeper meanings. Items as commonplace as bows and arrows, masks, and meeting halls are tangible expressions of the spirit of a culture. The themes in the final section seek to represent this spirit. In examining the Tongan kupesi traditions, for example, we see how the symbolism contained within the art, beyond its outer function, is reflective of the indirect nature of Tongan culture and somewhat akin to the practice of using heliaki in speaking. Likewise, in learning the complex process of building Palauan bai meeting houses, we can see that the structures stand not only as important functional spaces but also as carriers of cultural motifs and legends passed down over time. \nAll these themes attest to the art and technology of the Pacific societies as not only reflecting aesthetics but also serving a function. Traditional technological know-how allows the Pacific islanders to use available resources to their best advantage. Architectural designs, motifs, lashings, knots, stone walls, and pavement ensure that structures withstand the test of time while also carrying vital symbolic knowledge."

Design intervention has been an established initiative of development projects initiated by governments and NGOs across the world as a means to enhance market reach and the livelihood of traditional craft communities. However, innumerable instances have been cited on the ethics of engagement where design development has ended by benefitting the interests of designers and commercial enterprises while craftspeople have continued to remain unnamed and unknown.

While recording and performance copyrights on some of the recordings has expired, the underlying works recorded in most cases fall into the categories of intangible cultural heritage featuring traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) not normally covered by legal copyright frameworks. With the growing interest among indigenous and traditional communities around the world in cultural reclamation and increased awareness among these communities of their cultural documents held in museums, libraries, and archives sometimes thousands of miles away, new frameworks for dealing with the unique intellectual property challenges these documents raise are required. This paper will describe the learning curve and outcomes of attempts at the BL to establish such workable frameworks and methods for legal and ethical inclusion of a large body of material for worldwide distribution on the BL Sounds website. The paper offers anecdotal reports and ideas for the development of best practice for dealing with intellectual property in this context.

First, What areas are included in East Asia? This article deals with East Asian printing technology so it is necessary to give a thought on the area where printing technoloy was developed in pre-modern times. Even though there are differences depending on the order of time, countries where printing technology has developed are China and its neighboring countries such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Therefore, this article aims to look into characteristics in these countries, grouping them into East Asia category.\nSecond, what is the scope of printing technology? Printing is the technology for mass copy of texts. Human civilization of copying texts has evolved from oral transmission to transcription, from transcription to printing, from printing to digital copying. It has been only thousand years since printing began to be used in human society in earnest. Social needs drove a development of new technology, and craftsmen who has assimilated its knowledge and skills created new things. In other words, intangible needs and technology produced new tangible things. Diagraming of printing technology is as follows;\nSocial needs for printing → Craftsman and Technology → Woodblock or Movable - Type → Books\nIn this article, we will examine why printing technique was needed and what its social background in each area was, focusing on woodblocks and movable-type, two representative methods of printing technology in pre modern times.\n