Legacy of modernity in Japan - categories of valuation and examples

The author presents observations and information gathered during his study visit to Japan in February 2016. The Law of 30 May 1950 for the Protection of Cultural Property is outlined and formal categories of monuments are accordingly provided. The eight case studies discuss valorization of monuments based on contextual interpretation and along with their social and national significance. A non-European system of dating where timeline is divided not on centuries but by historical periods of different yearly length according to the emperor’s reign is mentioned. Special attention is given to the entry of Japanese site on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015, because it represents the resources of the industrial heritage from the Meiji Restoration – an eve of Modernity. Within conclusions author calls for better education of preservationists who should be familiar with humanistic dimension of their profession expressed by research not only a tangible objects but the important individuals related to the given protected site, as well.