Hiraizumi, Ogasawara recommeded for Heritage sites

UNESCO advisory bodies have recommended 2 places in Japan for inclusion on its World Heritage list.

The decision follows the Japanese government's proposal of the Hiraizumi district in the northern prefecture of Iwate as a cultural site and the Pacific islands of Ogasawara as a natural heritage site.

Hiraizumi features Buddhist temples and gardens built by the 12th-century Oshu Fujiwara clan.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites conducted a field study of Hiraizumi. The council concluded that it qualifies to be registered as a World Heritage site, on condition that some ruins are excluded.

The Ogasawara Islands are about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. They have never been connected to any landmass, and are known for their abundance of rare plants and animals. The scores of unique species include a butterfly called "Ogasawara-shijimi" or Celastrina ogasawaraensis.

The islands were recommended as a natural heritage site by another UNESCO advisory body, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It conducted a field study last year.

Final decisions will be made at a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Paris next month. But the recommendations by the advisory bodies are thought to have ensured that the 2 sites will be listed.

Following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, people in northern Japan have had high hopes for Hiraizumi's registration. They say its inclusion on the World Heritage list would help the region's recovery.

Japan has 11 cultural sites, including the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. The country also has 3 natural heritage sites, including Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.
Saturday, May 07