DOCOMOMO Japan’s National Specialist Committees have been active since 2007, as to make organization of DOCOMOMO Japan as DOCOMOMO International. DOCOMOMO Japan Specialist Committee of Technology organized the first academic conference in Kyoto 2008. We had participants from Finland and China as well. The conference succeeded greatly, and gave us the confidence to be Scientific Committee of DOCOMOMO.

　DOCOMOMO Japan NSC Technology is preparing to organize the seminar of International Specialist Committee of Technology Seminar in Tokyo, May 2010. I, Norihide IMAGAWA was assigned as the Chair of Organizing Committee. I do my best effort to make this international seminar bloom and fruitful for everyone related to not only DOCOMOMO Japan but the ones of DOCOMOMO International.

　Theme of this seminar is ≪METAL IN MODERN MOVEMENT ARCHITECTURE≫. The history of metals in architecture varies between Japan and western countries. Especially, the start point of steel began with cast iron from the The Iron Bridge, and represented by the book “Iron Bridge to Crystal Palace”. For the Japanese sense, cast iron was used for the Bells or Statues, although in Europe the cast iron products were used from the small object to architecture, gigantic construction. The seminar welcomes the paper about this historical and innovative product: the metals from the member of DOCOMOMO all over the world and also from non-members.

　We consider that the seminar is the great oppotunity to show the unique research of Steels and Metals around the world and Japanese great technology for metal product. Our venue isTokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market (Tsukiji-shijou), declared as DOCOMOMO Japan 145 selections, and Tokyo University of Arts. We organize excurtions for the architecture in TOKYO as well.

　This symposium reevaluates the MOMO architectures from the point of“Technology”, “Materials” and “Space”. Especially, this symposium concerns steels and other metals which contribute greatly for popularization and development of Modern Architecture. This Symposium proposes to evaluate the technical meanings and further possibilities.

　Japan, known for frequent earthquakes, of regulation for the buildings revised by each great earthquake, and it disturbs conservation and restoration of architecture. We may be able to say, that this situation is unhealthy and anti-democratic.

We invite on the 2nd day famous architect Mamoru Kawaguchi for lecture“The Earthquakes and Japan”, and we will discuss about this theme at symposium as well.

　Throughout this international seminar, we hope we could share and give feedbacks the knowledge, research and case studies for conservation of the Modern architecture, which is mainly done on stand alone.