In Japan, the number of architects and craftsmen specializing in conservation are respectively 145 and 300. In a country where there is a considerable difference between traditional materials and modern ones, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure the continuation of techniques and materials used in the past. Traditional approaches are considered indispensable for restoration work. The training of specialists is therefore necessary, not only for the maintenance of cultural heritage, but also for the transfer and preservation of traditional expertise. The author describes in detail the specialized courses given to architects and craftsmen under the aegis of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Associations for Restoration which depend on the government and a course sponsored by a private society, the Cooperative Society for Plaster Industry at Kyoto. -- AATA -- AATA