A wall painting depicting a woman, found at the Takamatsuzuka, is shown at left in a 1972 photo; Mold damage can be seen in the photo on the right, taken in 2002

It marks the first time since the painted walls were discovered in March 1972 that it is departing from its current policy of trying to preserve the walls, classified as national treasures, in situ.

In a meeting in Tokyo, an agency task force studying ways to preserve the Takamatsuzuka tomb discussed the current state of the paintings and the safety issues involved in taking the stone chamber apart, and concluded there is "no other choice" but to dismantle the chamber.

The unusual preservation method was originally floated because keeping the painted walls where they are now would make it impossible to prevent further damage and the spread of mold.

Unlike the Kitora tomb, which is also in Nara Prefecture, removing pieces of the wall plaster and reinforcing them for conservation is difficult because the plaster at Takamatsuzuka has numerous tiny cracks, according to experts.

The wall paintings in the tomb have not been made public for the sake of preservation.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 2, 2005
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