Representatives from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region on Wednesday opened a six-day conference to determine the cultural value of so-called holy mountains as U.N. World Heritage sites.
The conference is being hosted by the Wakayama prefectural government as part of its efforts to put Mount Koya and the shrines in the Kumano region on the World Heritage List.
A three-day inspection of Mount Koya and the Kumano region, which together straddle Wakayama, Nara and Mie prefectures in western Japan, is also scheduled for the convention.
Some 20 participants from 11 countries, including China and Australia, are joining their local counterparts for the meeting, which is co-sponsored by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
In his opening address, Masamine Sasaki, director general of the Cultural Affairs Agency, expressed his hope that participants would find ways to protect and preserve prospective World Heritage sites.