JICA donated equipment to Uzbekistan for the digitalization of cultural heritage.

JICA Donates Cultural Heritage Digitization Equipment to Uzbekistan

On August 18, 2026, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Agency for Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan held an equipment handover ceremony at the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. This event took place as part of the project "Preserving the Cultural Heritage of the Silk Road through Digital Archives."

The equipment was donated to the Agency for Cultural Heritage, the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan, and the Termez Archaeological Museum. The goal of the project is to strengthen Uzbekistan's capacity to protect and preserve cultural heritage sites. This is achieved by providing funds for archiving collections of cultural and archaeological value, as well as promoting cultural development and regional revival in the country.

The State Museum of History of Uzbekistan holds a collection of approximately 340,000 items. These include finds from archaeological sites related to the history of Buddhism, as well as materials reflecting the civilization of Central Asia, beginning with the Stone Age.

The Termez Archaeological Museum houses approximately 110,000 items discovered at sites in the Surkhandarya region. These include artifacts from the Greco-Bactrian and Kushan periods. The museum also houses an exhibition hall dedicated to the memory of the Japanese scholar Kato Kyuzo, who made a significant contribution to archaeological excavations and the preservation of sites in the Termez region.

The total cost of the project, implemented through Japanese grant aid, is 55.9 million yen. It includes the supply of computer equipment, scanners, cameras, and presentation equipment, as well as consulting services. Digitalization is expected to ensure the long-term preservation of cultural and historical heritage and expand access to materials for Uzbek and international users through a dedicated website.

Japanese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Kenji Hirata noted at the ceremony that Uzbekistan's cultural heritage is of great importance to Japan. He emphasized that Buddhism came to Japan from ancient India through the territory of modern-day Bactria-Tokharistan along the Great Silk Road. He stated that it is a great honor for the Japanese side to contribute to the preservation of this heritage. The project itself, the ambassador noted, combines two important areas—the preservation of cultural heritage and the transfer of knowledge, enabling the creation of digital copies of significant objects for further research.

JICA Representative in Uzbekistan Mamoru Sakai called the ceremony a landmark event. He emphasized that, in addition to traditional areas such as infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture, the agency also supports the restoration of the country's cultural heritage, as it forms the basis of Uzbekistan's national pride.

According to Sakai, the donated equipment will enable 3D digital scanning of heritage sites, the physical condition of which inevitably deteriorates over time, while digital data can be preserved for much longer.

Sakai added that posting this data on the website will make it accessible to researchers worldwide and will help attract foreign tourists, which will also have an economic impact.