UNESCO Adds Japan's Asuka-Fujiwara Site to World Heritage List

Ruins of Asuka Palace. (Wikimedia Commons/Saigen Jiro)

JAKARTA - UNESCO last week decided to add a group of ancient sites in Nara Prefecture that show the formation of Japan's centralized state to the World Heritage list, marking the 27th site in the country.

The decision on "Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological Site of the Ancient Capital of Japan and Related Properties" was made during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization held in Busan, South Korea.

"A new page has been added to history. There is still a big task ahead to protect these amazing ancient sites and make the best use of them," said Kashihara Mayor Tadahiko Kameda, the city where part of the newly listed World Heritage site is located, reported by Kyodo News (31/7).

The city set up a public viewing area to watch the committee's meeting live, which drew about 1,000 people, including locals and related personnel. The crowd cheered and applauded as soon as the committee's decision was announced, while gold ribbons rained down from the confetti ball.

The ruins are highly valued as they show the process of the formation of a centralized state, against the background of close interaction with China and the Korean Peninsula.

"I want to preserve it for future generations together with the people in this region," said the head of Asuka Village, Yuichi Morikawa, a village that is home to 15 of the 19 archaeological sites of the Asuka-Fujiwara cluster dating from the late sixth century to the early eighth century.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is from the prefecture, was also pleased with the designation and said in a statement, "These sites, Japan's treasures, have become the world's treasures. We will continue to protect this precious heritage," he said.

Major sites include the ruins of Asuka Palace and Fujiwara Palace associated with the early state building, the remains of Japan's first complete capital, Buddhist temple ruins, and ancient burial mounds.

Among the burial mounds is the Takamatsuzuka mound tomb, famous for its brightly colored murals, and the Kitora mound tomb, which features the oldest surviving astronomical map in East Asia.

The addition marks Japan's first new World Heritage site in two years, after the inclusion of the gold and silver mine complex on Sado Island on the list in 2024.

The UNESCO advisory body recommended adding the sites to the World Cultural Heritage list in June. With this addition, Japan now has 22 World Cultural Heritage sites and five World Natural Heritage sites.