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The Aizu Cultural Heritage Project

Eric McLaughlin
West Virginia University

The Aizu Cultural Heritage Project is a collaboration between several Universities and organizations throughout Japan and America, and is chiefly arranged by Professor Carl Vilbrandt of Aizu Univertiy (Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The project also operates with the assistance of several other devoted individuals, and with guidance of the Aizu History Project.

The subject of the project are 33 buddhist temples located in the Aizu region of the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The purpose of the 33 temples, which each house an idol of a "Kannon" (or Buddhist Diety) is for worshippers to undertake a "Mairi", or pilgrimage, to each of the 33. The 33 Kannons and the Mairi are an extremely signifant aspect of the culture and history of the Aizu Region (western Fukushima Prefecture). However, many of these temples were built over one thousand years ago, and although they were well cared for for many centuries, many are beginning to fall into disrepair.

The goal of the project is to use modern, digital techniques of documentation in conjunction with traditional historical research to document, preserve, and distribute historical, architectural, and cultural information about the 33 Kannons.

So far, digital laser scans have been taken of 9 of the kannons, from which accurate measurements can be extracted, and essentially serve as a complex blueprint of each Kannon. Some of the scans have also been used to create virtual models of some of the Kannons. Two teams so far from West Virginia University have been sent to scan and research the Kannons. Information on the first team's scanning and research can be seen at http://wvvel.csee.wvu.edu/dhoffman/Japan/English/ Additionally, photos, as well as historical and cultural information have been gathered for all 33 kannons and are currently in the process of being made available online at http://wvvel.csee.wvu.edu/aizu2003/ This page will also be updated to include information about the second teams Kannon scans.