Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) is pleased to announce the successful production of a replica of the 1867 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Denmark using high definition digital printing technology and master craftsmanship.

The Company is further pleased to announce that this replica was presented to Mr. Seiichi Kondo, Chairman of the the Promotion Committee to Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Establishment of Japan - Denmark Diplomatic Relations by Ms. Mette Bock, Danish Minister for Culture and Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs, at a February 7, 2017 ceremony hosted at the National Archives of Japan to mark the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Image of the replica instrument of ratification

Background

2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Japanese - Danish diplomatic relations. The Japanese copy of the original Treaty was lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. To commemorate this event, however, Denmark decided to create a precise replica of the Danish copy held in the Danish National Archives, and donate this to Japan.

In order to produce this replica it was necessary to procure materials comparable to the Japanese paper and binding cloth used in the originals, along with the technology to reproduce the original with sophisticated printing, and specialized Japanese bookbinding technology. In order to achieve this, the Royal Danish government requested the cooperation of DNP, which subsequently produced the replica in response to this request.

Replica Production Techniques

Of the documents composing the Japan - Denmark Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation DNP produced replicas of precious documents with a high historical value. These documents include the Instrument of Ratification, a Japanese language version of the agreement*, a Dutch language version of the agreement, and the Certificate of Exchange of the Instrument of Ratification.

* The Japanese version of the agreement comprises four parts of the Treaty, the Sub-Treaty, Tax Regulations and Tax Matters, and only the Treaty was reproduced this time.

1.  High Definition Photography

The Instrument of Ratification was bound at the spine using glue, making it difficult to dismantle, hence, it was photographed in its original state and was not taken apart. However, the body of the book was bag stitched, and ran to 242 pages in length making it a thick document that was difficult to photograph from a single angle.

In addition, the Japanese paper used for the Japanese language portion of the instrument was produced mixing gold leaf flakes, which reflected the light during shooting, making it difficult to reproduce the smooth gradations of the paper.

In order to overcome these challenges, DNP used Phase One**, a Danish made high definition camera boasting in excess of 100 million pixels. Camera angles and lighting were skillfully exploited to acquire multiple image data for each page proudly showing off the unique textures, tints and sheen of ancient texts.

** DNP Photo Imaging Japan Co., Ltd., a DNP Group Company, is domestic sales agent for Phase One.

2.  High Quality Image Processing and Printing

Sophisticated image processing technology was used, based on the multiple image data, to produce printing data for each page. In order to faithfully reproduce the tones, density and gradations of the original, an image conversion table and high definition multicolor ink jet printer integrating unique color management technology were then used to achieve high quality printing. Japanese paper close to the texture and thickness of the original was selected, and it was further made possible to reproduce the tone of the original by printing.

 This process employed PrimoArt, the DNP high definition output technology that can produce high definition replicas of the original, accepting production from one sheet. PrimoArt is capable of faithfully reproducing the touch of the original as a result of its rich reproduction capabilities, such as reproducing a broader range of colors than standard printing equipment via the use of 10 different colored inks.

3.  Hand-Worked Japanese-Style Case Binding

The binding in the Instrument of Ratification employs a special Japanese-style case binding specification. Veteran technicians with recognized craftsmanship at Oguchi Book Binding & Printing Co. Ltd, a DNP Group Company engaged in book binding, successfully reproduced the Instrument of Ratification based on materials close to the original, such as the binding cloth, via a hand-worked process.

DNP and Denmark

Since the establishment of DNP Denmark as a large scale optical projection screen manufacturing base in 1989, DNP has endeavored to contribute to relations between The Kingdom of Denmark and Japan, as well as to Danish society. On the educational and cultural fronts, the Company accepts interns from the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), and has donated computers and Japanese software (for e-books, etc.) to the computer room in the Japanese course at CBS, while also donating Japanese books to Aarhus University. DNP Company President, Mr. Yoshitoshi Kitajima was awarded the Order of the Knight of Dannebrog in 2001 in recognition of these efforts. Mr. Kitajima is also a member of the Promotion Committee to Celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Establishment of Japan - Denmark Diplomatic Relations.

* Product prices, specification and service contents mentioned in this news release are current as of the date of publication. They may be changed at any time without notice.