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Feb. 26, Sun. 0:10 - 0:40 (UTC) etc.
Reviving the Asuka Beauties: Restoration of the Takamatsuzuka Tomb Wall Paintings
J-Innovators:A Takumi who created roof tiles that will last nearly forever.
The biggest challenge was processing the titanium, which tries to return to its original shape.
This is Sensoji immediately after the re-roofing
J-Innovators:
A Takumi who created roof tiles that will last nearly forever.
Metal titanium, which can last 1,000 years without rusting, has now been made into traditional Japanese-style roof tiles! They weigh less than one twentieth of ceramic roof tiles. And the surface is processed to reproduce the distinctive color variegation and even scorch marks of ceramic tiles. The titanium tiles are almost impossible to tell apart visually from old-fashioned ones. They have even been used to re-roof the famous Buddhist temple Sensoji! Don't miss Michelle Yamamoto's report on the Takumi who is revolutionizing roofing technology!
Japan's oldest lacquer tree wood
New tsunami defense
Science News Watch:
The oldest ever found lacquer tree in Japan
Science Watcher Dr. Eiji Mizushima focuses on the news of a lacquer tree discovered in a shellmound in Fukui Prefecture. It has been dated as the oldest ever found in Japan, 12,000 years old. Is this the origin of Japan's rich lacquer culture? And Science Navigator Rena Yamada, who is also a disaster prevention instructor, introduces a new type of tsunami defense that has been invented: seawalls that are sunk on the ocean floor and raised remotely to the surface when there is a tsunami danger.
Asuka Beauties 1972
Funori functions as both an adhesive and a surfactant that, like soap, removes stains
In March 2010, Fukunaga-san used her terahertz scanner at the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties to study one of the tomb paintings for the first time.
The Leading Edge:
Reviving the Asuka Beauties Restoration of the Takamatsuzuka Tomb Wall Paintings
The Takamatsuzuka Tomb was erected 1,300 years ago in what is now the village of Asuka in Nara Prefecture. On its four walls are painted the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Black Tortoise and a group of women in vibrant hues called the Asuka Beauties. It was one of the greatest discoveries in the history of Japanese archaeology, but mold and dehumidification have since led to the murals' deterioration. Can the power of science and technology restore and preserve this priceless artistic and cultural treasure for future generations?
