Japan

Zoom and click on the map to find out about individual sites, or else use the list of sites below.

Chūbu

Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration
Mount Fuji and numerous natural and religious sites related to its spiritual importance.

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Mountain villages with unique traditional farmhouses where silkworms were cultivated.

Sado Island Gold Mines

Chūgoku

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
A UNESCO site for its symbolism and the hope it represents.

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
A well-preserved shrine dating to the 12th century and harmonizing beautifully with the surrounding landscape.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
Remains of a silver mining community that operated for centuries, important in international trade.

Kantō

Shrines and Temples of Nikko
A complex of ornate and colorful religious buildings in a lovely forest setting.

Ogasawara Islands

Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites

Kansai / Kinki

Himeji-jo
A magnificent bright white castle dating to the 17th century.

Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
A set of 17 sites comprising culturally-significant religious architecture and landscaped gardens.

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
A collection of ancient Buddhist and Shinto shrines in the old capital of the Japanese empire.

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
Two early temple complexes that include the oldest wooden structures in the world.

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan

Hokkaidō

Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan

Shiretoko

Tōhoku

Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island
Four islands with subtropical rainforests that support a range of endemic species.

Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land

Shirakami-Sanchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu

Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

Yakushima

Multiple regions

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

Transnational

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement

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Text: UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan. Images: Himeji Castle above, a temple in Kyoto below.