Builder Obayashi Corp. and Kyoto-based printing firm Artefactory Corp. have jointly launched a project to provide offices with replicas of artworks deemed national treasures.
Under its Traditional Art Project, Artefactory has obtained permission to duplicate some 5,000 works from Kyoto's temples and shrines, including national treasures.
With the help of state-of-the-art digital technology, the replicas can be printed on walls, windows and even ceilings, according to company officials.
As part of efforts to preserve the cultural heritage artworks, permission fees paid by Artefactory are channeled to a Kyoto-based cultural exchange foundation.
It takes about a month to complete a replica after receiving an order, they said, and the price depends on the size of the final product.
The first artwork in the project, "Choju Giga" ("Scrolls of Frolicking Animals"), has been printed on the wall of Azsa & Co., a Tokyo auditing firm. The original is a national treasure housed in Kozan Temple in Kyoto.
