Heritage with Related Tags
Shiretoko
The Shiretoko Peninsula is located northeast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. The site includes the land and surrounding marine areas from the middle of the peninsula to the tip of the peninsula (Cape Shiretoko). It is an outstanding example of the interaction of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and of extraordinary ecosystem productivity, which is largely influenced by the formation of seasonal sea ice at the lowest latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. It is of special importance for many marine and terrestrial species, some of which are endangered and endemic, such as the Black's Fish Owl and the Viola yedoensis plant. The site is of global importance for endangered seabirds and migratory birds, many salmon species, and marine mammals including Steller sea lions and some cetaceans.
Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan
The property comprises 17 archaeological sites in the southern part of Hokkaido Island and the northern part of the Tohoku region, with geography ranging from mountainous hills to plain lowlands, from inland bays to lakes and rivers. They provide unique testimony to the development of the pre-agricultural but sedentary Jomon culture and its complex spiritual belief system and rituals over a period of around 10,000 years. It demonstrates the emergence, development, maturity and adaptability of a sedentary hunter-fisher-gatherer society to environmental changes from around 13,000 BC. The expression of Jomon spirituality is present in tangible forms in objects such as lacquerware, clay tablets with footprints, the famous bulging-eyed dolls, and ritual sites including earthworks and large stone circles with a diameter of more than 50 meters. This collection of properties testifies to a rare and very early development of pre-agricultural sedentary life from its emergence to maturity.
Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region
Located 60 km off the west coast of Kyushu, Okinoshima is an outstanding example of Japan's sacred island worship tradition. Archaeological sites preserved on the island are almost intact and chronologically document the changes in rituals performed on the island between the 4th and 9th centuries AD. During these rituals, offerings were placed at different locations on the island. Many of them were brought from overseas and were of high quality, evidence of the close exchanges between the Japanese archipelago, the Korean peninsula, and mainland Asia. Okinoshima is part of the Munakata Grand Shrine, which is still considered sacred today.
Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites
The property is a historic sericulture and silk mill complex built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. It consists of four sites corresponding to different stages of raw silk production: a large raw silk reeling mill with machinery and industrial expertise imported from France; an experimental farm where silkworm cocoons were produced; a school where knowledge of sericulture was disseminated; and a silkworm seed cold storage facility. The site embodies Japan’s desire to rapidly acquire the best mass production technology and was a decisive factor in the renaissance of Japan’s sericulture and silk industry in the last quarter of the 19th century. The Tomioka Silk Mill and its associated sites became a center of innovation in raw silk production, marking Japan’s entry into the modern industrialized era, making it the world’s largest exporter of raw silk, especially to Europe and the United States.
Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land
Hiraizumi - Temples, gardens and archaeological sites representing the Buddhist Pure Land include five sites, including the sacred Mount Kinkei. Remnants of government offices from the 11th and 12th centuries remain here, when Hiraizumi was the administrative center of a northern kingdom in Japan, rivaling Kyoto. The kingdom was based on the cosmology of Pure Land Buddhism, which was introduced to Japan in the 8th century. It represents the Buddha's Pure Land, a place people yearn for after death, as well as spiritual peace in this life. Pure Land Buddhism combined with native Japanese nature worship and Shintoism to form a uniquely Japanese concept of planning and garden design.
Cangzhou Qiantong Temple
There are Dongdu Hall, Taishan Hall and Youyi Hall in Qiantong Temple, which record the successful crossing of the East by the alchemist Xu Fuyong and young boys and girls and skilled craftsmen in the Qin Dynasty and the impact on the Japanese archipelago. Qiantong Town was called "Rao'an Town" in the Shang, Zhou and Warring States periods, which means "the land is fertile and can be used for people's comfort". "Records of the Grand Historian: The Family of Zhao" mentioned that in the sixth year of Emperor Qin Shihuang (241 BC), "Zhao General Pang attacked Qi and took Rao'an", which refers to this place. In the Qin Dynasty, this place was called "Qiantong City". "The First Emperor sent Xu Fu to lead a thousand boys and girls to the sea to seek Penglai, and built this city for them to live in, hence the name." In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (202 BC), a county was established here and called "Qiantong County". In the second year of Xiping in the Northern Wei Dynasty (517 AD), the Cangzhou Prefecture was established here. Qiantong Town was the seat of a prefecture and county for 841 years in history. In 209 BC, Xu Fu, on the order of Qin Shihuang, bravely led thousands of boys and girls and skilled craftsmen to set sail from here in search of the elixir of immortality. They crossed the ocean and successfully immigrated to Japan, setting a precedent for friendly exchanges between China and Japan and becoming the first overseas Chinese hometown in Chinese history.
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
Kyoto was founded in 794 AD and modeled after ancient Chinese capitals. It was the imperial capital of Japan from its founding until the mid-19th century. Kyoto was the cultural center of Japan for more than 1,000 years and is a representative of Japanese wooden architecture (especially religious buildings) and Japanese garden art, the latter of which has influenced garden design around the world.