58 they were nevertheless in excellent spirits. I spoke of my experience of interacting with the diligent and non-materialistic Cambodians who had Buddhism at the core of their hearts, and encouraged the students to seek something that truly mattered. In 2006, while still president, I was appointed chairman of the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus Investigation Committee of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and hence I tackled problems that occurred during the preservation of the national treasure mural paintings in Ishimuro. Takamatsuzuka Tumulus is a historic site located in the Nara Prefecture (of the late 7th to early 8th century). In 1972, a colorful mural having a female group image called “Asuka Bijin,” and a figure of four gods was discovered. The Agency for Cultural Affairs had preserved and managed the mural paintings in Nara prefecture, but in 2004 it was found that the paintings had deteriorated owing to the growth of mold and the like. It was a highly complex issue, since the cause was the fact that they had been sealed in the ground until their discovery, after which they were exposed to the outside air. In the investigation committee it was pointed out that the persons in charge of burial mounds and murals were different, and hence the lack of cooperation between the two departments in charge of local preservation had led to inadequate measures. Later, the mural paintings were taken to mending facilities for restoration and preservation. However, I felt that if we were to try amassing wisdom by surpassing barriers, we would be led to appropriate solutions. The task of preventing mold from adhering to stone walls and pillars of the Angkor monuments in Cambodia continued in Japan as well, by tackling the mold situation within the country. Owing to the fact that my term as president since then involved also serving as chairman of the Council for Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, I became occupied both within and outside Japan, joining in meetings and dealing with committees. Even so however, I felt that human
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