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COVID-19 Coronavirus Notice

Updated 2 July 2020

If you are reading this message, please be aware of travel restrictions in place as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 "Coronavirus" and its symptoms. Japanese authorities are refusing entry to individuals from, or who have been to, a list of over 100 countries (More information). All other visitors must apply for a visa, and undergo a quarantine upon entering the country. Within the Japan, there are no longer any travel restrictions, and most public attractions have re-opened with precautions for sanitation and social distancing. In short, travel to Japan is not recommended at this time, until the situation normalises. I will not be editing my individual articles to reflect this, but again, please keep this in mind when reading them.

Monday, July 30, 2018

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I wrapped up a day-tour of the Fuji Five Lakes, part of one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  What is that, you may be wondering?  A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with significant natural and/or cultural value, as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).  Every year, UNESCO's member nations get together and pick a selection of nominee locations, submitted by their countries' governments, for inclusion on the World Heritage List.  Basically, it's like a "hall of fame" for landmarks.

Sites are selected for the World Heritage List based on their historical and/or natural value, and are thus categorised as Cultural, Natural, or Mixed.  The grounds of each site is given protected status, as the purpose of the World Heritage List is to preserve and pass down these pieces of our heritage for future generations.   As of this article, there are over a thousand World Heritage Sites across 193 countries.  Japan is home to twenty-two World Heritage Sites, eighteen of them designated as Cultural and the remaining four as Natural.

1) Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1993
The main hall and pagoda of Horyu-ji.
663highland / CC BY-SA
Horyu-ji (法隆寺) is a Buddhist temple complex located southwest of Nara (itself featured later on this list).  Not only is it one of the oldest temples in Japan, established in AD 607, but some of its buildings are the oldest wooden structures in the world.

2) Himeji-jo
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1993
The main keep of Himeji Castle.
Taken by the author on Saturday, 19 November 2016.
Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himeji-jō), west of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, is one of only a dozen castles to have survived since the end of the feudal era.  Of that prestigious list, Himeji-jo is the largest, most complete, and most beautiful.  It miraculously survived many wars and disasters over its four-century existence, and looks none the worse for wear.  After you make your way through the main keep, be sure to visit the west bailey and, time permitting, the adjacent landscape garden Koko-en.  You can read my report on Himeji Castle here.

3) Yakushima
Type: Natural
Inscribed in: 1993
Shiratani Unsuikyo, a verdant ravine in Yakushima.
Σ64 / CC BY
Yakushima (屋久島) is a subtropical island in between Kyushu and Okinawa.  Wide swaths of this island are covered in dense forests of cedar trees.  These trees, known as yaku-sugi (屋久杉, lit. 'old home cedar') after their home island, are thousands of years old.  Anime fans may also have heard of Yakushima, as its forests were an inspiration for settings in the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke.

4) Shirakami-Sanchi
Type: Natural
Inscribed in: 1993
The beech forest of Shirakami-Sanchi.
らんで / CC BY-SA
Shirakami-Sanchi (白神山地) is a mountain range in the northern Tohoku region, straddling Akita and Aomori prefectures.  Its core area consists of the world's only virgin forest of Japanese beech (橅/ブナ, buna) trees, meaning it has suffered no human development of note.  Because of its status, entry into the core zone requires a permit acquired in advance.  However, there are also plenty of interesting natural sites in the vicinity, including waterfalls, canyons, and vividly-coloured lakes.  Coincidentally, these mountains have also been cited as a reference for Princess Mononoke.

5) Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1994
The main hall of Kiyomizu Temple.
Taken by the author on Friday, 18 November 2016.
Kyoto (京都, Kyōto) was the capital city of Japan for more than a thousand years, and it was spared from most of the wars and natural disasters which have afflicted the country.  This combination of conditions has led to Kyoto hosting a wealth of long-standing shrines, temples, and other historical buildings.  Of the seventeen properties included in this listing, some of the most famous are Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, and Nijo Castle.

6) Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1995
A row of farmhouses in Shirakawa-go.
Leyo / CC BY-SA 3.0 CH
Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, Shirakawa-gō) and Gokayama (五箇山) are a pair of towns famous for their neighbourhoods of triangle-shaped, thatched-roofed farmhouses.  This style of architecture is known as "gassho-zukuri" (合掌造り, lit. 'clasped hands'), as it evokes the image of a monk's hands clasped in prayer, and is effective in keeping the buildings standing amid the region's heavy snowfalls.  This region has kept its traditions preserved because of its remote location -- highways linking it to outside cities were only built in the late 20th century.  These days, a good number of these houses welcome visitors to stay overnight in their rustic accommodations, and are especially popular during winter snowfalls when they are lit up at night.

7) Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1996
The "A-Bomb Dome" at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Taken by the author on Monday, 21 November 2016.
During the end of World War II, Hiroshima (広島) was the first city in history to be struck with an atomic bomb.  Virtually all of its buildings were destroyed by its intense explosion, but among the few left standing was an exposition hall.  Despite being located so close to the blast's epicentre, much of it miraculously survived.  Its ruins have been left standing as a monument to the tragic event, and have come to be known as the "A-Bomb Dome".  You can read my report on the A-Bomb Dome and the surrounding Peace Park here.

8) Itsukushima Shrine
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1996
Looking out from Itsukushima Shrine to its floating torii gate.
Taken by the author on Tuesday, 22 November 2016.
Close to Hiroshima (the last entry in this list) is the island of Itsukushima (厳島), also known as Miyajima (宮島).  This island was so sacred that its eponymous Shinto shrine was built on stilts atop the bay, so people would not have to set foot on the island proper.  The shrine's most iconic symbol is its giant torii gate, situated further offshore.  You can read my report on Itsukushima Shrine here.

9) Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1998
The main hall of Todai-ji.
Taken by the author on Wednesday, 26 May 2010.
Nara (奈良), a Kansai-region city located south of Kyoto and east of Osaka, is another of Japan's former capital cities.  This listing covers five Buddhist temples including Todai-ji, home of a giant bronze Buddha statue, as well as the Heijo imperial palace ruins, the Kasuga-taisha Shinto shrine, and the Kasugayama primeval forest immediately behind the latter.

10) Shrines and Temples of Nikko
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 1999
Yomei-mon, the gilded gate of Tosho-gu.
No machine-readable author provided. Fg2 assumed (based on copyright claims). / Public domain
Nikko (日光, Nikkō) is a town in the Kanto region, north of Tokyo.  This listing includes the buildings of two Shinto shrines, Tosho-gu and Futarasan-jinja, and one Buddhist temple, Rinno-ji.  In particular, Tosho-gu also serves as the mausoleum of the famous shogun ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康, 1543-1616), whose retainers built a magnificent gilded shrine complex in his honour.

11) Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2000
The main keep of Shuri Castle in May 2011.
663highland / CC BY-SA
The islands of Okinawa were an independent kingdom until being annexed by Japan in 1879.  Its kings lived in castles known as gusuku (グスク/城, lit. 'castle'), characterised by their simple yet thick stone walls.  Only ruins of these walls exist at most gusuku sites, with the exception of the brilliantly-reconstructed Shuri Castle (pictured) in downtown Naha.

Note: Shuri Castle, pictured above, was destroyed again by fire in October 2019.  Current plans are to rebuild the damaged parts by 2026, but the castle park is still open in the meantime.

12) Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2004
The pagoda and waterfall of Nachi-taisha.
shinohal / CC BY-SA
The Kii Mountains (紀伊山地, Kii Sanchi), located in the southern Kansai region, are especially sacred to the Japanese religions.  The focal points of worship are a trio of Shinto shrines: Kumano Hongu-taisha, Hatayama-taisha, and Nachi-taisha.  They are connected by a series of hiking trails collectively known as the Kumano Kodo, which exist in varying states to this day.  To the north, the heritage zone includes mountains such as Koya-san and Yoshino, also sacred centres of different Buddhist and Shinto sects.

13) Shiretoko
Type: Natural
Inscribed in: 2005
Ichi-ko, the first of the Shiretoko Five Lakes.
663highland / CC BY-SA
The Shiretoko National Park (知床国立公園, Shiretoko Kokuritsu Kōen) covers the eponymous peninsula in northeastern Hokkaido.  It remains relatively undeveloped, with roads only reaching two-thirds up the peninsula.  This relative lack of development has allowed the growth of wildlife populations including brown bears, foxes, and deer.  There are also natural wonders including waterfalls, lakes, the volcanic Mount Rausu, and autumn foliage in early October.  The coasts of Shiretoko are also fine places to witness the vast sheets of drift ice, which form during the winter from the Russian mainland.

14) Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2007
The entrance to the Ryugenji Mabu Mine Shaft.
メルビル / CC BY-SA
Iwami Ginzan (石見銀山) is a former silver mine in the western Chugoku region, southwest of the shrine town Izumo.  At its peak in the 17th century, its output accounted for a third of the world's silver production.  This heritage zone also includes the towns of Omori, home to many historical homes, and the nostalgic onsen resort of Yunotsu.

15) Hiraizumi - Temples, Gardens, and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2011
The Konjiki-do hall, part of Chuson-ji temple.
竹麦魚(Searobin) / CC BY-SA
Hiraizumi (平泉), in Iwate prefecture, was the base of power of the Fujiwara clan in the 12th century AD.  The clan's power and stature grew to the point where the city was likened to the Kyoto of northern Japan.  Despite being brutally sacked in the end of the century, multiple temples and shrines exist in Hiraizumi to this day.  Highlights of this listing include Chuson-ji, with the indoor golden Konjiki-do hall, and Motsu-ji, with a landscape garden built around the concept of the "Pure Land", or Buddhist heaven.

16) Ogasawara Islands
Type: Natural
Inscribed in: 2011
Minami-jima, one of the smaller islands of the Ogasawara chain.
By しんかわな (投稿者が撮影) [GFDL or CC BY 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
The Ogasawara (小笠原群島, Ogasawara Shotō) or Bonin Islands are a chain of subtropical islands 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) south of Tokyo, and yet, are governed as part of Tokyo Prefecture.  Only the two largest islands, Chichi-jima (父島, lit. 'father island') and Haha-jima (母島, lit. 'mother island'), are populated.  Their remote location has allowed the growth of flora and fauna not found elsewhere in Japan or Asia, and in order to protect them, there are strict regulations against bringing alien species into the islands.  But it's worth the effort, not to mention the long travel times (24 hours on a once or twice-weekly ferry), to experience the Ogasawaras' exclusive wildlife and pristine beaches.

17) Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2013
Mount Fuji, seen from Lake Sai.
Taken by the author on Friday, 11 May 2018.
I imagine Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san) needs no introduction, but just in case, it's only the tallest and most sacred volcanic mountain in all of Japan.  This listing includes the mountain itself, the Fuji Five Lakes surrounding it to the north, and the network of Sengen shrines devoted to its patron kami.

18) Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2014
The chimney of Tomioka Silk Mill.
あばさー / Public domain
Silk has long been one of Japan's prestigious crafts, ever since the art of silkmaking was spread from China seventeen centuries ago.  This industry made a huge leap forward during the Meiji industrial revolution of the late 1800s (see below), when a silk mill was constructed in Tomioka (富岡), Gunma prefecture.  The largest silk mill of its time, it was active up until the 1980s, and its well-preserved buildings have been converted into museums demonstrating the history of Japan's silk industry.

19) Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2015
Hashima, a.k.a. Gunkanjima, off the coast of Nagasaki.
Hisagi (氷鷺) / CC BY-SA
Building off of the last entry, the Meiji Restoration period was a time of great advances in many of Japan's industries, all within a remarkably short span of time.  Because of the vast scope of the subject, this listing includes sites from all around the country.  Highlights include reverberatory furnaces in Hagi (in the western Chugoku region) and the Izu Peninsula, the Yawata Steel Works near Kitakyushu, and the abandoned coal mine of Hashima (pictured).

20) The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2016
The National Museum of Western Art, in Tokyo.
663highland / CC BY-SA
Le Corbusier, born Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (1887-1965), was a French-Swiss architect who helped pioneer the modernist architectural style of the early-to-mid 20th century.  The listing of his works in the UNESCO World Heritage List includes buildings in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Argentina, India, and Japan.  The sole representative from Japan is the National Museum of Western Art, in Tokyo's Ueno Park.

21) Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2017
The main hall of Munakata-Taisha's Hetsu-miya shrine.
そらみみ / CC BY-SA
Okinoshima (沖ノ島) is an island 60 kilometres (35 miles) northwest of Kyushu, along the way to the Korean peninsula.  Since the 4th century AD, sailors and sea traders have prayed for safe passage on the island's shrine, Okitsu-miya, which is one of three affiliated shrines known as the Munakata Taisha (宗像神社).  Today, Okinoshima is closed to all but a few pre-selected worshipers each year.  Instead, most people go to one of the other Munakata shrines: Hetsu-miya, on the Kyushu mainland, and Nakatsu-miya, on the closer island of Oshima.

22) Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2018
Ōura Church, or the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan, in Nagasaki.
663highland / CC BY-SA
Ever since Christianity was introduced to Japan by Portuguese and Dutch missionaries in the 16th century, and spread around the Nagasaki area, it had a tumultuous relationship with the Japanese, to say the least.  The shogun leaders of the time saw the religion as a threat and banned it, persecuting and/or executing anyone caught practising it.  Those who dared carry out worship during this time had to do so in secret, or relocate themselves to remote islands nearby.  This ban was lifted during the Meiji period, and since then, new churches were built alongside the few pre-existing ones that survived.  This listing includes churches and other sites, built during the "Hidden Christian" era, where Christians secretly practised their faith.

23) Mozu-Furuichi Kofun-gun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters
Type: Cultural
Inscribed in: 2019
An overhead view of Emperor Nintoku's tomb, the largest of the Mozu-Furuichi burial mounds.
Copyright © National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism / Attribution
A kofun (古墳, lit. 'ancient grave') is a burial mound used to entomb Japanese royalty and elite from the 3rd to 6th centuries AD.  The most common types of kofun are surrounded by a moat and have a distinctive keyhole shape.  Remaining examples of kofun exist primarily in the Kansai region, and the clusters that comprise the UNESCO World Heritage listing are located in the southern suburbs of Osaka, including the largest one belonging to, assumedly, the Emperor Nintoku (est. AD 313-399).  The tombs themselves are off-limits to visitors, but it is possible to see some from observation decks such as the one at Sakai's city hall.