Some buildings are designated as national treasures, and some others as cultural assets. While skyscrapers are being built one after another, some groups try to protect old historic buildings as much as possible. Today I discuss the reasons why people should try to protect old historic buildings.

In my opinion, the first reason to protect old historic buildings is that buildings present the culture of the place where they locate, and present the difference from other culture. For example, old buildings or houses in some old port towns, like Kobe, Nagasaki, and Yokohama, are different from those of other towns or cities in Japan. People can find there some old buildings of European style, presenting the culture of Europeans who lived there in Edo or Meiji Period. As another example, across Japan are there castles, different from European castles. They represent Japanese unique culture that has its root in Confucianism, while Europe has its root in Christianity. Therefore, old historic buildings tell clearly the culture of the location on they stand.

The second reason is that to preserve old buildings is a part of the big plan in which all cultural assets are tried to be preserved. The plan is based on the idea that culture helps people understand themselves and others. People should preserve not only building, but also language, music, dance, costumes, classic literature, and all other traditional cultures. For example, when Japanese people see Hindu temples in India, they understand that India has completely different culture from Japan. They recognize the difference between India and Japan because they have seen some old temples in Nara, Kyoto and Kamakura. If present people destroyed all the traditional buildings, people in the future would not understand their own culture; as a result they would not understand other culture. Therefore people should try to preserve traditional cultures as much as possible.

In conclusion, people preserve old historic buildings because buildings present the culture of the place where they stand. Such unique cultures, not only buildings but also other historic cultures, should be preserved, because they help people understand themselves and others.