Japan to boost protection of cultural properties after Okinawa and Paris blazes
The culture agency decided on a five-year plan to enhance the protection of cultural properties against fire, following a blaze that destroyed Okinawa’s Shuri Castle.
Japan to recommend Jomon Period sites for World Cultural Heritage list
The government decided Thursday to recommend the Jomon Period archaeological sites in northern Japan as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage candidate for 2021. Japan will submit its formal recommendations to the organization by Feb. 1 for the 17 ancient sites in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate and ...
Japan to launch panel to draw up restoration plans for Okinawa's Shuri Castle
The government plans to advance reconstruction efforts for fire-damaged Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture by establishing a council of experts who were involved in the restoration of the castle in 1992. The plan was unveiled Monday by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga during the second ...
Huts burn down near World Heritage-listed thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go
Two huts were destroyed by fire Monday near the traditional thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go village in Gifu Prefecture, which are registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, Gifu Prefectural Police said. The police received an emergency call from a local resident at around 2:40 ...
Historic sites across Japan on alert following devastating fire at Okinawa's Shuri Castle
Thursday's fire that devastated Shuri Castle, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in Okinawa Prefecture, triggered a sense of alarm among people and organizations managing historic sites in the country. At an emergency meeting held at Nijo Castle in the city of Kyoto, participants, ...
Ancient Osaka Prefecture tomb clusters added to UNESCO World Heritage list
UNESCO decided Saturday to add to the World Heritage list two tumulus clusters in western Japan, which represent an ancient burial system and the hierarchy of society at the time. The sites, comprised of 49 tombs in Osaka Prefecture and collectively called Mozu-Furuichi tumulus clusters, ...
Namahage demon festival of northern Japan grapples with blessing and curse of UNESCO listing
As a child, Tatsuo Sato was terrified when the Namahage demons roared into his house every year, but in adulthood he mourned as the centuries-old tradition faded away. "The kids disappeared, the young people disappeared. We had to give it up," Sato, 78, said of ...
Japan seeks UNESCO heritage list recognition for traditional architectural craftsmanship
The centuries-old traditional style of craftsmanship covers techniques in 17 areas essential for repairing shrines, temples and homes.
Train buffs join forces online to save Japan's fading railway assets
Railroad enthusiasts across Japan are pooling resources, making financial contributions via the internet to preserve abandoned rail facilities and support financially struggling local railways. Some of these sites have turned into tourist destinations where railway buffs gather for exchange events, with locals hoping the trend ...
Edo Period 'post town' in Okayama re-imagines its past and reaps tourism dividends
Yakage is the only preserved town along the Sanyo Road that survives in it's near-original form, and tourists are flocking there.
Let's discuss Japanese festivals joining UNESCO's heritage list
Thirty-three traditional festivals from across Japan have been added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Groups work to preserve Japanese colonial architecture in Taipei
Toward the end of World War II, Japanese authorities in Taiwan began to prepare for a possible invasion the United States, which would have included a blockade of the island's ports and isolation of major population centers from sources of essential supplies. Among these preparations ...
