Hirotaro Ohta

Architectural historian. Born in Tokyo. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Imperial University. After working at the Horyu-ji Temple National Treasure Preservation Works Office and the Ministry of Education's Religious Affairs Bureau Preservation Division, he became an associate professor at the University of Tokyo in 1943 (Showa 18). After World War II, he became a professor at the University of Tokyo from 1960, president of Kyushu Institute of Design (integrated with Kyushu University in 2003) in 1974, president of Musashino Gakuen from 1978 to 1990 (Heisei 2), director of the Foundation for Technology Conservation of Buildings in Cultural Properties, and member of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Cultural Properties Protection Council. He made great achievements in various fields of Japanese architectural history and trained many successors. His achievements spanned three fields: research, preservation practice, and preservation administration.

First of all, in the field of research, he has written papers and books on temple and shrine architecture and residential architecture, many of which are collected in "Japanese Architectural History Essays 1: Characteristics of Japanese Architecture," "Japanese Residential History Studies 2," and "Japanese Residential History Studies 3." He has also written overview books such as "Introduction to Japanese Architectural History" and "Illustrated Japanese Residential History," edited collections such as "A View of the Six Great Temples of Nara" and "Compilation of Basic Materials on Japanese Architectural History," and written books on preservation such as "Preservation of Historical Climate," and played a major role in raising the theoretical level of academia and cultural property protection. In 1954, he received the Architectural Institute of Japan Award for Best Paper for "Japanese Residential History Studies," in 1963 the Architectural Institute of Japan Award for Achievement for editing "Architectural Studies Series," and in 1989 the Architectural Institute of Japan Award Grand Prize for outstanding research achievements across a wide range of fields in Japanese architectural history.

In the second field of practical preservation, he served as a repair assistant at Ishikawa Myojoji Temple and Horyuji Temple before the Second World War, and as a Ministry of Education technical officer working part-time at a university, he supervised repair work at 10 temples and shrines in Aichi Prefecture, including Konrenji Temple, as well as Kasamoriji Temple in Chiba and Myo-o-in Temple in Hiroshima. In 1971, as a director of the Japan Association for the Preservation of Cultural Property Buildings, he was involved in preservation and repair work across the country, contributing to raising the standard of preservation. He also played a leading role in the preservation of modern architecture such as private homes and Tokyo Station, the nationalization and preservation of historical sites such as the Heijo Palace ruins, and the preservation of the townscape of Kiso-Tsumago-juku, contributing to the advancement of the preservation of historical environments. His work in preserving Tsumago, a pioneering achievement in townscape preservation, earned him the Mainichi Art Award in 1975.

In the third area of ​​preservation administration, he was involved in the enactment of the Ancient Capitals Preservation Law ("Law Concerning Special Measures for the Preservation of the Historical Environment in Ancient Capitals") which came into force in 1966, and served as a member of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties and chairman of the Second Specialist Investigation Committee, leading the administration for the protection of cultural property buildings after the Second World War.

[Fujita Meiji]

Illustrated History of Japanese Housing (1971, Shokokusha) ▽ Compilation of Basic Materials on Japanese Architectural History, edited by Ota Hirotaro et al., Vols. 1-4, 7, 11, 12, 14-17, 20, 21 (1978-1998, Chuokoron-Bijutsu Shuppan) ▽ Preservation of Historical Landscapes (1981, Shokokusha) ▽ Illustrated Japanese Townscapes, Vols. 1-12 (1982, Daiichi Hoki Shuppan) ▽ Collection of Essays on Japanese Architectural History, Vols. 1-3 (1983-1986, Iwanami Shoten) ▽ Tsumago-juku: Its Preservation and Regeneration, by Ota Hirotaro and Kodera Takehisa (1984, Shokokusha) ▽ Introduction to Japanese Architectural History (1989, Shokokusha) ▽ "The Nara Rokudaiji Daikan Collection, ed., The Nara Rokudaiji Daikan Collection, Vol. 1-14 (1991-2001, Iwanami Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

建築史家。東京に生まれる。東京帝国大学工学部建築学科卒業。法隆寺国宝保存工事事務所、文部省宗務局保存課などを経て、1943年（昭和18）東京大学助教授となる。第二次世界大戦後、60年から東京大学教授、74年九州芸術工科大学（2003年九州大学と統合）学長、78～90年（平成2）武蔵(むさし)学園長、財団法人文化財建造物保存技術協会理事、文化庁文化財保護審議会委員などを歴任し、日本建築史の各分野において大きな業績をあげ、多くの後継者を育てた。業績は、研究、保存実務、保存行政の三つの分野に及んだ。

　まず第一に研究の分野では、寺社建築や住宅建築に関する論文や著作があげられるが、その多くは『日本建築史論集1　日本建築の特質』『同2　日本住宅史の研究』『同3　社寺建築の研究』に収録されている。そのほか『日本建築史序説』『図説日本住宅史』などの概説書の執筆や、『奈良六大寺大観』『日本建築史基礎資料集成』などの資料集の編集、『歴史的風土の保存』などの保存に関する著作があり、学界と文化財保護の理論的水準向上に大きな役割を果たした。1954年『日本住宅史の研究』により日本建築学会賞論文賞、63年『建築学大系』の編集により日本建築学会賞業績賞、89年日本建築史の広い分野にわたる顕著な研究業績により日本建築学会賞大賞を受賞した。

　第二の保存実務の分野では、第二次世界大戦前、石川妙成寺(みょうじょうじ)と法隆寺で修理助手を務め、大学と兼職の文部技官として愛知県下の金蓮寺(こんれんじ)など10件の寺社のほか、千葉の笠森寺(かさもりじ)、広島の明王院(みょうおういん)などの修理工事監督も務め、1971年より財団法人文化財建造物保存技術協会理事として全国の保存修理工事にかかわり、その水準を引き上げることに貢献した。また、民家や東京駅などの近代建築の保存、平城宮跡などの史跡の国有化と保存、木曽妻籠(きそつまご)宿の町並保存などにも指導的役割を果たし、歴史的風土保全の進展に寄与した。町並保存の先駆的業績となったこの妻籠の保存活動により、75年毎日芸術賞を受賞している。

　第三の保存行政の分野においては、1966年施行の古都保存法（「古都における歴史的風土の保存に関する特別措置法」）の制定に関わり、文化庁文化財保護審議会委員および第二専門調査会会長などを務めて、第二次世界大戦後の文化財建造物の保護行政をリードした。

［藤田盟児］

『『図説日本住宅史』（1971・彰国社）』▽『太田博太郎他編『日本建築史基礎資料集成』1～4、7、11、12、14～17、20、21（1978～98・中央公論美術出版）』▽『『歴史的風土の保存』（1981・彰国社）』▽『『図説日本の町並み』第1～12巻（1982・第一法規出版）』▽『『日本建築史論集』1～3（1983～86・岩波書店）』▽『太田博太郎・小寺武久著『妻篭宿　その保存と再生』（1984・彰国社）』▽『『日本建築史序説』（1989・彰国社）』▽『奈良六大寺大観刊行会編『奈良六大寺大観』第1～14巻（1991～2001・岩波書店）』

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