Challenges of Japan's Next Generation Archaeologists

1. OKAMURA Katsuyuki (Osaka City Cultural Properties Association) SAKAI Hideya KOBAYASHI Seiji (Nara University) Who will succeed us? -exploring the issue of Japan’s next generation of archaeologists

2. Who are ‘archaeologists’ in Japan? Composition of Japanese archaeologists Number and Ratio per population of European and Japanese archaeologists (right)

3. Comparison between Japanese and British archaeologists Japanese archaeologists 2015 British archaeologists 2012

4. The average age ‘Experts for buried cultural properties’ : 44.1 years old (total), 45.1 (prefectural level) and 43.6 (municipal level) (the Agency of Cultural Affairs 2013) At the prefectural level, the average ages were 46.0 years old for public officers, 46.3 for schoolteachers, 47.9 for semi-public organizations and 39.3 for one year contract staff. Age of Japanese and British archaeologists

5. Why so many archaeologists? Total Expenditure on Rescue Excavation Peak: 0.8 Billion euro for 12.000 excavations in 1997 7,111 (2001) 5,724 Only ‘experts for buried cultural properties’ 5,452

6. In 40 years of Japanese AHM it has been driven and strongly characterized by the incremental establishment of a national-level system for dealing with rescue excavation of buried cultural properties. It was the nation’s economic growth, rather than relevant legislation, that has allowed this system to be developed. • The reduction of development works, following the severe recession that began in the mid-90's, has caused many units to suspend new employment for over 10 years, and, in the worse cases, their demotion or abolishment. • The transmission of AHM professional skills to a younger generations may well be hindered. Challenges to Japanese Archaeological Heritage Mangement (AHM) recognised in 2006 - Effects of the economic depression

7. But now the situation has dramatically changed. One of the biggest challenges to archaeology and heritage management is that there are insufficient applications to fill vacancies. This is becoming a serious problem across the heritage sector, despite multiple job posts, due to the retirement of senior heritage managers. But why? What is happening at universities and for students?

8. Japanese Archaeological Association and Nara University Survey 2015 Main questions are about Teachers: number, speciality, experience of salvage excavation etc 2) Archaeological courses: when? 3) Graduates: change in number from 1998 to 2014, employment 4) Post-graduates: change in number from 1998 to 2014, employment 5) Curriculum and support for employment

9. How many teachers in archaeology are at your university?

10. What is your specialty in archaeology

11. Have you worked in AHM (Archaeological Heritage Management) before getting a job at your university?

12. When did your university begin teaching archaeology? (50 responses from 101 universities)

13. ■：male■:female Number of graduates (BA) majoring in archaeology (44 responses from 101 universities)

14. ■：male■:female Graduates who became employed as an ‘expert for buried cultural properties’ (44 responses from 101 universities)

15. Column: graduates (left) Zigzag: rate　（right） Number of graduates and the rate of employment of ‘expert for buried cultural properties’ (%) per total employments (44 responses from 101 universities)

16. ■：Ph. D■: MA Number of MA and Ph.D students in archaeology (55 responses from 101 universities)

17. What is a heritage managers’ job like? Young heritage managers explaining their jobs to undergraduates, Nara University

18. We would also like to ask you if you have faced a similar issue, and if so, how you coped with it in your country or region? Thank you!