The Japan Foundation presents exhibition of Japan’s heritage, in 3 parts of two weeks each, starting from 18th June.
The first part of the exhibition – “Kyoto Heritage “ pertains to the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto City, Uji City and Otsu City)”. Kyoto is the most ancient heritage city of Japan.

The second part of the exhibition – “Gift from the Earth” exhibits Japan’s heriatage in form of its nature.

An Introduction to The World Heritage

Mankind has built great civilizations, a plenitude of unique cultures, and in the wake of four million years of natural history we find ourselves today immersed in a cultural and natural heritage with no apparent bounds or limits. But the doings of men have often interfered with nature, sometimes even causing its ruin. It is our charge today to preserve the great heritage of nature, as well as the cultures of mankind.
The World Heritage Convention is a document adopted in 1972 by a general session of UNESCO(United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization)in Paris. Its aims are to preserve for future generations cultural and natural legacies of world with conspicuous and universal value.
Japan and 186 other countries had signed the convention by July 2011. By signing, these countries pledged to the world that they would preserve the legacies within their lands for future generations, and that they accepted the obligation and responsibility to cooperate with other countries in protecting common World Heritage legacies of mankind. As of July 2011,there were 936 World Heritage sites.
The World Heritage site of Japan that were registered in 1993 for the first time included the “Shirakami-Sanchi Mountain Range”, “Yaku-shima lsland, “Himeji-jo Castle” and the “Buddhist monuments of the Horyu-ji Temple Area”.
In the following years and through the end of 1999,“Genbaku Dome, Itsukushima-jinja Shrine”, the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara”, the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto City, Uji City and Otsu City)”, the “Gassho-zukuri Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama” and the “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” were added to the list.
At the end of 2000, “Gusuku site and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu” that include Shun-jo Castle among others were added to the list.
In 2004,“Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Ku Mountain Range and the Cultural Landscapes that Surroud Them” were added to the list.
In 2005, “Shiretoko was added to the list of Natural Property.
“Iwami- Ginzan Silver Mine” was added to the list of Cultural Property in July 2008.
In June 2011, “Ogasawara Islands” was added to the list of Natural Property and “Hiraizumi Temples, Gardens and Archaelogical Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land” was added to the list of Cultural Property.