Preserving Pacific Cultural Heritage for Future Generations: Field Survey Conducted with past training participants in Palau
2026.02.12
At ACCU Nara, we develop new international cooperation projects every year based on the needs and requests of past training participants.
This year, in response to requests from past participants from the Republic of Palau, we conducted a field survey on the current challenges surrounding cultural heritage protection in the country. Palau, a Pacific paradise with a population of approximately 18,000, preserves not only mixed heritage sites such as the UNESCO World Heritage "Rock Islands Southern Lagoon" but also a rich variety of cultural heritage. The islands are home to many stone cultural properties known as “stone faces” as well as traditional wooden structures called "Bai".
During this visit, ACCU met with Minister Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl of the Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development to exchange views on how the island’s tourism resources—including cultural heritage, natural heritage, and war-related heritage—can be managed in the future, as well as on the need for digital documentation to preserve and promote these heritage assets. We plan to design future training programs that can contribute to addressing these two issues.
ACCU also visited the Embassy of Japan in Palau and met with Ambassador Kasahara, who kindly shared many valuable insights. In addition, we visited the JICA Palau Office, where we received information and exchanged opinions on the progress of JICA’s new “Tourism Project,” which focuses on the war heritage remaining on the islands.
Updates on the projects to be launched this year will be reported on our website in due course. We warmly welcome further training proposals from former ACCU trainees as well.
This visit has also been featured on the website of the Embassy of Japan in Palau.
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