At the award ceremony held in Tokyo on November 10, 2020,
Mr. Nakamura,
Project Chief Advisor
expressed his gratitude and delivered an address of the award on behalf of the team: “The fact that the work of conservation, which usually goes unnoticed, has been recognized in such a way makes the people involved in this field proud and gives them momentum.” He also reiterated his determination to keep on working towards the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and praying that COVID-19 comes to an end.
Following are comments from experts who were also present at the ceremony as recipients:
Dr. Akiko Nishisaka,
Project Deputy Advisor
“The Conservation Center of the Grand Egyptian Museum is reaching a crucial stage in the course of preparation for the opening. Sharing this joy with experts in Egypt, I hope to dedicate to the activities at the Center and its development.”
Dr. Yasushi Okada,
Technical Chief Advisor and Conservation Expert of Wooden Artifacts
“Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage is achieved through diligent work by archaeologists, art historians, scientists and conservators. Within the GEM-JC project, in addition to the said professionals, experts of transportation, documentation, photography, procurement, project management and coordination from both countries have collaborated as a team to conserve the globally-recognized treasures of Tutankhamun. We owe this award to every participating member of this Egyptian-Japanese joint team. Thank you for this incredible honor.”
Dr. Mie Ishii,
Conservation Expert of Textiles
“It is a great honor to have this project to develop human resources in the field of cultural heritage conservation brought into the limelight as part of contributions to international peace. We could not have achieved this award without the support of everyone involved. I am truly grateful.”
Dr. Yoko Taniguchi,
Conservation Expert of Mural Paintings
“Conserving mural paintings from the Old Kingdom without removing it from its mud-brick support is a very difficult task. It is a challenge for both Egyptian and Japanese experts, but we plan to do our best to put every knowledge and experience we have to better preserve the paintings and present it at the Grand Egyptian Museum. ”