Scientific Research on Urushi in japan

" In Japan,scientific studies of urushi started from the identification of its constituents by Ishimatsu and others(1882),and the determination of skeleton of urushiol by Majima(1902).In this report,I would like to focus on the passage of overall research work of urushi in these 20 years and survey the progress of its scientific studies.In order that those who are not scientists would understand the purpose and the progress of the reseach,and in order that the scientists would understand what the specialists of cultural properties are expecting to the scientific studies,I would like to summarize the purpose,background,the expansion of the research,and the influence.Also,from the point of the conservation of cultural properties made of urushi,I will examine the results of the past researches and weight them against the prospects of the future development of the studies."