TADASHI AIZAWA fot no nosn ad bevn te Conven the observing and endorsing into effort rector-general in1999–2009. di UNESCO was who Matsuura, Koichiro Dr. says successful UNESCO,” at adopted most conventions the the all among is which Convention, tage sustainable development. in participation community of essence the is this and efforts; the in participation their to lead should people local to distributed equally are conservation conserving it. Ensuring that economic effects of this in roles communities’ and Heritage, World of tion tance of sustainable development through conserva impor the emphasizes Vision” “The cade. forth the direction of the Convention in the next de setting Vision” Kyoto “the announced and Kyoto, I property. of list the on registered are States), (United Canyon Grand the and (France) Versailles of Palace the pyramids, Egyptian the as such properties, 962 of total A . including Convention, Heritage World the to on signed have that countries 190 now are There both. of characteristics the possess that heritage mixed and heritage natural heritage, cultural types: three into divided are They meeting. general (UNESCO) Organization Cultural and Scientific Educational, Nations United 1972 the at adopted Convention) Heritage (World Heritage Natural and Cultural World the of Protection the Concerning Convention the with accordance in registered are Sites humankind. for value” universal “outstanding have to thought are sites Heritage World Heritage World Windows on Japanese Culture Japanese on Windows While in office, Dr. Matsuura put a great deal of of deal great a put Matsuura Dr. office, in While “Most countries are a signatory to the World Heri COVER STORY ol Hrtg Cneto ws ed in held was Convention Heritage World the of Anniversary 40th the of Celebration the of Event Closing the 2012, November n Highlighting J APAN

JANUARY 2013 JANUARY of UNESCO (1999–2009) UNESCO of director-general former Matsuura, Dr.Koichiro O eea meet general CO UNES 2003 the at Adopted Heritage. Cultural tangible In the of guarding Safe the for tion ------cording them treatment as humankind’s assets. humankind’s as treatment them cording ac conserved, is Heritage World way same the in rituals and music traditional as festivals, such tage” heri “living conserve to aims Convention the ing, part. Horyu-ji, -jo, the Historic Monuments Historic the Himeji-jo, Horyu-ji, part. important an plays wood that is Japan in properties Silk Mill,areincludedin theTentativeList. Tomioka the and Kamakura properties, Fuji, Mt. them among cultural Japanese twelve addition, In tage properties and four natural heritage properties. heritage in 1993. Japan now has twelve cultural heri and Shirakami-Sanchi were inscribed on the natural became Japan’s Castle) first cultural heritage (Himeji and Himeji-jo and Area Horyu-ji the vention in 1992. After that, Buddhist Monuments in Con Heritage World UNESCO the ratified Japan World HeritagePropertiesinJapan communities through intangibleculturalheritage. local of sustainability ensuring for calls Vision” Kyoto “the Heritage, World conserve To manpower. and finance both of terms conserve in them to alone specialists outside for difficult is It people. local by conserved years many for and created been have properties heritage Many areas. these of citizens of involvement the without occur heritage nor the conservation of World Heritage can Yet neither the safeguarding of intangible cultural n o te hrceitc o Wrd Heritage World of characteristics the of One

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JANUARY 2013 JANUARY  World Heritage—Windows on Japanese Culture

of Ancient Kyoto, gassho-style houses in Shirakawa- different activities leveraging its knowledge and go and Gokayama, Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, techniques for the restoration and preservation of Shrines and Temples of Nikko, and Chuson-ji Kon- cultural properties. One such activity is the Japanese jikido in Hiraizumi are all made of wood, and then Funds-in-trust for the Preservation of the World so of course are the natural heritage properties such Cultural Heritage, which was established in UNES- as Yakushima and Shirakami-Sanchi. Conserving CO in 1989 with the aim of supporting efforts to wooden heritage, which is more susceptible to decay preserve cultural heritage around the world. Sites and damage, is not as easy as conserving the stone- the fund supports include Angkor in Cambodia. built sites typical of Western countries, chiefly those Japan sent restoration specialists to Cambodia, who in Europe. Despite this, Japan is striving to hand joined with local workers in restoration efforts and down its World Heritage to succeeding generations successfully transferred skills to local engineers. by leveraging techniques cultivated for many years Japanese specialists were also sent to the Bamiyan for the restoration of trees and paper. Two of Japan’s valley in central Afghanistan, where two giant stone World Heritage properties are currently undergoing Buddhas had been destroyed by the Taliban, joining large-scale renovation—Himeji-jo, which was built efforts there to restore the wall paintings and other in the early seventeenth century, and the East Pagoda cave remnants. of Yakushi-ji temple, which was built at the end of “Japan has numerous technical and academic spe- the seventh century and is one of the Buddhist cialists, and they can be better utilized for the benefit Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area. Renovators of of World Heritage,” Dr. Matsuura says. “Nearly these sites try to as much as possible to use the same forty countries have no World Heritage properties. materials, techniques and designs as those used Japan has a particular role in helping developing when the buildings were first constructed. countries obtain World Heritage registration and “Japan has conserved its historic architecture, then in conserving these properties.” sites, cultural landscapes and intangible cultural This month’s Cover Story introduces the weather, properties through a variety of laws,” Dr. Matsuura climate, history and culture of Japan through expla- says. “World Heritage is common heritage to all of nation of World Heritage properties in Japan and humankind. Each state party to the World Heritage those included in the Tentative List of World Heri- Convention is also obligated to conserve World tage properties.

Heritage sites in other countries.” Shiretoko (p. 14) For this conservation, Japan has engaged in many Shirakami-sanchi Mountain Range

Map of Japan’s Himeji-jo Castle World Heritage sites Historic Monuments of ● World Cultural Heritage ● World Natural Heritage Ancient Kyoto Historic Villages Itsukushima Shinto Shrine of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

Yakushima Islands (p. 8) Hiraizumi (p. 12)

Hiroshima Peace Shrines and Memorial Temples of Nikko (Genbaku Dome) Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area Ogasawara Islands Sacred Sites and Gusuku Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Historic Monuments of Ancient Related Properties Mountain Range (p. 12) of the Kingdom of Ryukyu Highlighting JAPAN JANUARY 2013 Highlighting JAPAN JANUARY 2013