The government said Thursday it will submit a proposal to add a number of islands and several places linked to the history of Japan's persecuted Christians to UNESCO's list of natural and cultural World Heritage sites.

The natural sites are Kagoshima Prefecture's Amami-Oshima Island and Tokunoshima Islands, the northern part of Okinawa Prefecture's main island and Iriomote Island, also in Okinawa.

For the cultural sites, places in Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures associated with the history of Japan's persecuted Christians will be recommended.