Asuka-Fujiwara Ancient Capitals to Join World Heritage List

Tokyo, June 6 (Jiji Press)–A UNESCO advisory panel has recommended adding the Asuka-Fujiwara archaeological sites in western Japan to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, UNESCO said Saturday. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee is expected to adopt the recommendation at its upcoming meeting in Busan, South Korea, from July 19 to 29. Inscription recommendations by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, are usually adopted. If the Asuka-Fujiwara ancient capitals in Nara Prefecture are listed, it will bring Japan’s number of World Cultural Heritage designations to 22 and its total number of World Heritage designations, including natural heritage sites, to 27. Previously, the Sado Island Gold Mines in the central prefecture of Niigata was added to the cultural heritage list in 2024. For the Asuka-Fujiwara sites, ICOMOS determined that the scope of their constituent assets and conservation methods are appropriate and meet the evaluation criteria. The panel encouraged Japan to continue to consider designating the entire Fujiwara palace ruins, one of the constituent assets, as a historic site and to study the preservation and restoration of murals removed from burial mounds. The Asuka-Fujiwara sites consist of 19 archaeological sites from the 6th to 8th centuries, including the ruins of the Asuka and Fujiwara palaces, as well as the Takamatsuzuka tomb. The transition of the ancient capitals is believed to illustrate the development of a centralized administrative system during the formation of an ancient state in East Asia. In 2007, the Asuka-Fujiwara sites were listed on UNESCO’s tentative list. However, it took more years to demonstrate their outstanding universal value, required for World Heritage status, and to implement protective measures. Since 2020, local government officials have submitted draft recommendations to Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs four times. In January 2025, the government submitted a recommendation to UNESCO. In September that year, ICOMOS conducted an on-site survey. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]