The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an agency of the United Nations that aims to promote the preservation and growth of the world's intellectual and cultural property. UNESCO is probably best known for designing World Heritage Sites, cultural and natural sites that show "outstanding universal value". There are currently 21 world heritage sites in Japan, 17 cultural ones and 4 natural ones.
World Cultural Heritage Sites
Horyuji Temple
Horyuji Temple's central gate, main hall and pagoda are the world's oldest surviving wooden structures.
Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Over a dozen
shrines,
temples and
castles in
Kyoto and the neighboring cities of Uji and Otsu, including
Toji,
Kiyomizudera,
Enryakuji,
Daigoji,
Byodoin,
Tenryuji,
Kinkakuji,
Ginkakuji,
Ryoanji and
Nijojo.
Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are remote regions in the mountains of
Gifu and
Toyama Prefectures, famous for their solid houses built in the gasshozukuri architecture style.
Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is one of the most beautiful and unique
shrines in Japan, scenically located on the sacred island of
Miyajima. It is particularly famous for its "floating" torii gate.
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Sacred sites in
Yoshino, Omine,
Kumano and
Koyasan connected by pilgrimage routes in a densely forested, mountainous region.
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
Iwami Ginzan is a former silver mine in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture, whose output accounted for one third of the world's silver production in the 17th century.
Fujisan
Japan's most iconic volcano and highest mountain,
Mount Fuji, has been worshiped as a sacred mountain for centuries and had an immeasurable impact on Japanese culture, while it is recognized as a symbol of Japan across the world.
Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution
The
Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution are a collection of preserved historical sites spread across eight prefectures. They highlight the country's rapid development into Asia's first industrial power within just half a century.
National Museum of Western Art
The National Museum of Western Art in
Tokyo's
Ueno Park is Japan's only building designed by Le Corbusier. Alongside several other works by the pioneering architect in Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India and Switzerland, the museum building is part of "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement".
Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region
Okinoshima is a small, remote island, 60 kilometers off the coast of
Kyushu. Off-limit to the general public, the island has been revered as a sacred island for many centuries. It is part of the three
Munakata Shrines.
World Natural Heritage Sites
