List of World Heritage Sites in Japan facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) helps protect special places around the world. These places are called World Heritage Sites. They are important for either their culture or their nature. UNESCO started this program in 1972.

Cultural heritage includes amazing buildings, sculptures, and old sites like digs. Natural heritage means unique natural spots. These can be special rock formations, homes for rare animals and plants, or beautiful landscapes. Japan agreed to protect these sites on June 30, 1992.

Japan has 26 World Heritage Sites. Four more sites are on a "tentative list," meaning they might be added later. Japan's first sites were added in 1993. The newest site, the Sado mine, was listed in 2024. Most of Japan's sites (21) are cultural, and five are natural. One site, The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, is shared with six other countries!

Japan's World Heritage Sites

UNESCO uses ten rules, or "criteria," to decide if a place is special enough. Each site must meet at least one rule. Rules i through vi are for cultural sites, and rules vii through x are for natural sites.

* This site is shared with other countries.

World Heritage Sites
Site Name	Picture	Location (Prefecture)	Year Added	UNESCO Criteria	What Makes It Special
Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area	A wooden Buddhist temple with a pagoda behind	Nara	1993	i, ii, iv, vi (cultural)	This area has 48 Buddhist buildings, some from the 7th and 8th centuries. They are among the oldest wooden buildings in the world! Their design shows how Japanese style grew from Chinese influences.
Himeji-jō	A beautiful white castle with many roofs	Hyōgo	1993	i, iv (cultural)	Himeji Castle is a fantastic example of early 17th-century Japanese castle design. It has many towers, walls, and connecting buildings. Its main tower has unique multiple roof layers.
Yakushima	A misty forest with mossy trees	Kagoshima	1993	vii, ix (natural)	Yakushima is an island with mountains almost 2,000 meters high. It has many different plant types, from subtropical plants to bamboo forests. Some Japanese cedar trees here are over 1,000 years old!
Shirakami-Sanchi	A mountain forest in northern Japan	Aomori, Akita	1993	ix (natural)	This mountainous area has some of the last large Japanese beech forests. These ancient forests are home to animals like the Japanese black bear and black woodpecker.
Ancient Kyoto Monuments	The Golden Temple (Kinkaku-ji) in Kyoto	Kyoto, Shiga	1994	ii, iv (cultural)	Kyoto was Japan's capital for over 1,000 years. It was a center for art and architecture, especially wooden buildings and Japanese gardens. This site includes 17 properties, like the famous Kinkaku-ji.
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama	Traditional Gassho-style houses with steep thatched roofs	Gifu, Toyama	1995	iv, v (cultural)	These three mountain villages are known for their unique "Gassho-style" houses. These homes have very steep, thatched roofs, built to handle heavy snow and to raise silkworms.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)	The Genbaku Dome, a building left standing after the atomic bomb	Hiroshima	1996	vi (cultural)	This memorial is the ruin of a building that survived the first atomic bomb in 1945. It reminds us of the terrible power of war and shares a message of hope for world peace.
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine	A red torii gate standing in the water	Hiroshima	1996	i, ii, iv, vi (cultural)	This beautiful Shinto shrine was built in the 12th century. It's famous for its "floating" torii gate in the sea, surrounded by mountains. The shrine's design has stayed true to its original style.
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara	A Buddhist temple with a pagoda in Nara	Nara	1998	ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural)	Nara was Japan's capital from 710 to 784. This site includes five Buddhist temples, a Shinto shrine, and the old Nara Palace. It shows how Chinese and Korean cultures influenced Japan.
Shrines and Temples of Nikkō	A carving of the three wise monkeys	Tochigi	1999	i, iv, vi (cultural)	The sacred mountains of Nikkō have over a hundred Buddhist and Shinto buildings. Many date from the 17th century. They are known for their beautiful artworks, like the famous three wise monkeys carving.
Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu	The colorful Shuri Castle	Okinawa	2000	ii, iii, vi (cultural)	These monuments are from the Ryukyu Kingdom (12th to 17th centuries). They include gusuku, which are fortified castles. Their design shows influences from Japan, China, and other Asian countries. Shuri Castle is one example.
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range	A temple with a red pagoda in the Kii Mountains	Wakayama, Nara, Mie	2004	ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural)	The Kii Peninsula mountains have been sacred for over 1,200 years. They feature many pilgrimage routes, shrines, and temples for both Buddhist and Shinto religions.
Shiretoko	A Steller's sea eagle on ice	Hokkaido	2005	ix, x (natural)	This park includes part of the Shiretoko Peninsula and the sea around it. It's special because sea ice forms here at the lowest latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. Many animals, like Steller's sea eagle and seals, live here.
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape	Old mining village houses under a hill	Shimane	2007	ii, iii, v (cultural)	The Iwami Ginzan was a big silver mine from the 16th to 20th centuries. It used traditional, small-scale mining methods. You can still see the remains of mining villages and ports today.
Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land	A peaceful garden with a pond and temples	Iwate	2011	ii, vi (cultural)	Hiraizumi was an important center in the 11th and 12th centuries. Its gardens and temples were designed to represent the "pure land" of Buddha, following Pure Land Buddhism ideas.
Ogasawara Islands	A small island with low plants	Tokyo	2011	ix (natural)	The Ogasawara Islands are a group of about 30 islands far out in the Pacific Ocean. Because they are so isolated, they have many unique plants and animals found nowhere else.
Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration	Mount Fuji, a snow-capped volcano	Shizuoka, Yamanashi	2013	iii, vi (cultural)	Mount Fuji is a beautiful volcano that has inspired artists for centuries, especially in Japanese woodblock prints. It's also a sacred mountain in Buddhist and Shinto traditions, with many shrines and pilgrimage paths.
Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites	Inside a historic silk factory	Gunma	2014	ii, iv (cultural)	The Tomioka Silk Mill shows how Japan became a modern industrial country in the late 1800s. It used French machines to produce silk, making Japan a major silk exporter and a center for new technology.
Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining	An old coal mining shaft and brick building	several sites	2015	ii, iv (cultural)	During the Meiji era (late 1800s), Japan quickly developed industries like iron, steel, shipbuilding, and coal mining. This site includes 23 locations that show how Japan became a world industrial power.
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement*	A modern concrete building with sculptures	Tokyo	2016	i, ii, vi (cultural)	This site is shared with six other countries! It features 17 buildings by architect Le Corbusier, who was important in the 20th-century Modernist movement. Japan's part is the National Museum of Western Art.
Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region	A traditional temple building	Fukuoka	2017	ii, iii (cultural)	Okinoshima is a sacred island where ancient rituals for safe sea travel took place. Objects found there show how cultures from Japan, Korea, and Asia exchanged ideas.
Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region	A church with a white front and blue windows	Nagasaki, Kumamoto	2018	iii (cultural)	This site tells the story of hidden Christian communities in Japan. Even when Christianity was banned for centuries, these communities kept their faith alive in secret villages. The Ōura Church is one example.
Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters	An aerial view of a keyhole-shaped burial mound	Osaka	2019	iii, iv (cultural)	This site has 49 large burial mounds called kofun, built between the 3rd and 6th centuries. They come in shapes like keyholes, squares, or circles, and some have moats around them.
Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island	An Okinawa rail, a flightless bird	Kagoshima, Okinawa	2021	x (natural)	This site includes protected areas on four islands. Because these islands separated from the mainland long ago, they have unique animals like the Okinawa rail, Iriomote cat, and Amami rabbit.
Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan	A reconstruction of ancient Jōmon houses	Hokkaidō, Aomori, Iwate, Akita	2021	iii, v (cultural)	These 17 archaeological sites are from the Jōmon period (about 13,000 BCE to 400 BCE). The Jōmon people were hunter-gatherers who made pottery and unique ceramic figures called dogū.
Sado Island Gold Mines	An old mining area on Sado Island	Niigata	2024	iv (cultural)	This site on Sado Island has a history of gold and silver mining that lasted over 250 years. Miners used traditional, non-mechanized methods. People from all over Japan came to work here, creating a unique culture.

Future World Heritage Sites: Japan's Tentative List

Countries can suggest sites they think should become World Heritage Sites. These are put on a "tentative list" first. Japan currently has four places on its tentative list.

Tentative sites
Site Name	Picture	Location (Prefecture)	Year Listed	UNESCO Criteria	What Makes It Special
Ancient Kamakura's Temples, Shrines, and Structures	The Great Buddha of Kamakura	Kanagawa	1992	i, ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural)	Kamakura was an important center during Japan's samurai rule. It still has many temples and shrines that show the samurai culture, like the famous Kōtoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura).
Hikone-jō	Hikone Castle with its many roofs	Shiga	1992	i, ii, iii, iv (cultural)	This castle is a great example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture. It still has its main tower, defensive walls, and moats, giving a clear picture of how castles were built back then.
Asuka-Fujiwara: Japan's Ancient Capitals and Related Sites	An old mural showing four women	Nara	2007	ii, iii, iv, v, vi (cultural)	This site includes historical places from the Asuka period, when Asuka was Japan's capital. You can see tombs, temples, and palace ruins that show what life was like during that time.
Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land (extension)	A red Buddhist temple built into a cliff	Iwate	2012	ii, iii, vi (cultural)	This is a proposed addition to the existing Hiraizumi World Heritage Site. It focuses on more ancient religious structures and gardens that were designed based on the ideas of Pure Land Buddhism.

List of World Heritage Sites in Japan facts for kids

Japan's World Heritage Sites

Future World Heritage Sites: Japan's Tentative List

See also