Japan’s Asuka-Fujiwara sites recommended for World Heritage List
A UNESCO advisory body has recommended that a group of ancient sites in Nara Prefecture, which illustrate the formation of Japan’s centralized state, be added to the World Cultural Heritage list, Japan’s Cultural Affairs Agency announced Saturday, Kyodo reported.
The proposed inscription, titled “Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological Sites of Japan’s Ancient Capitals and Related Properties,” will be formally decided at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in South Korea from July 19 to 29.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, whose constituency is in Nara, welcomed the recommendation, writing on X that she was “extremely delighted that our precious cultural heritage has been highly regarded internationally.” She pledged the government’s full support to secure the official listing.
If approved, Japan would hold 27 World Heritage sites - 22 cultural and five natural.
The Asuka-Fujiwara cluster comprises 19 archaeological sites dating from the late sixth to early eighth centuries. Key locations include the ruins of the Asuka and Fujiwara Palaces, Japan’s first full-fledged capital, Buddhist temple remains, and ancient burial mounds. Among them are the Takamatsuzuka Tomb, famed for its vividly colored murals, and the Kitora Tomb, which contains East Asia’s oldest astronomical chart.
The sites were first placed on UNESCO’s tentative list in 2007, and Japan formally submitted its nomination in 2025 after narrowing the components from 22 to 19.
Earlier, it was reported that Japan's UNESCO-listed Himeji Castle had been damaged by Typhoon Jangmi.
