However, the (old) 'national treasure' defined under the old laws (the Ancient Temples and Shrines Preservation Law and the Law for the Preservation of National Treasures) and the 'important cultural property' defined under the new law (the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties) actually both refer to the same thing, namely an item designated a tangible cultural asset by the state, and as such the change cannot be considered a 'downgrading.'
旧法（古社寺保存法、国宝保存法）における「国宝」（旧国宝）と新法（文化財保護法）における「重要文化財」は国が指定した有形文化財という点で同等のものであり、「格下げ」されたのではない。