Top 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan

Ever since Japan became part of the UNESCO Convention in 1992, there have been a total of 17 sites, comprised of 13 cultural properties and 4 natural properties, that have been included in the World Heritage list.

There are also ten more that are currently in the tentative list. Below are the Top 5 Japanese UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Himeji-jo

A castle comprised of 83 buildings, each with very sophisticated defense systems and protective devices that were effective during the Shogun period, the Himeji-jo is one of Japan’s finest examples of 17th century castle architecture. This masterpiece is a mix an aesthetic mix of wood and earthen materials.

The castle remains well preserved until today. It was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Yakushima

Within the Yaku Island, right at the point where the palaearctic and oriental biotic regions meet, is Yakushima, home to over 1,900 species and subspecies of fauna and flora, including the ancient sugi, a kind of Japanese cedar. This is where one can also find the remains of an ancient forest unique to Yaku Island. Even if it is only a small island, Yakushima possesses many impressive features such as the mountains that go as high as 2,000 meters as well as the many high peaks and seacoasts.

The ecosystem is also dominated by the Japanese cedar trees. For its biological and scientific significance, it got enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Genbaku Dome

More popularly known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the Genbaku Dome was the only structure that remained standing after the atomic bomb exploded way back in 1945. Thanks to the effort of the people, the structure was preserved in the exact state as it was after the incident.

Up to date, it remains as a strong symbol of how dangerous the destructive forces of humankind can be, as well as an expression of hope and world peace, and the struggle to eliminate all nuclear weapons. This is perhaps the greatest reason why the Dome was enlisted a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Buddhist Monuments of Horyuji

Many of these monuments were created way back, somewhere between the late 7th century or the earlier parts of the 8th century. This makes them one of the oldest wooden buildings that remain standing in the world.

The relevance of these wooden masterpieces is not just limited to the artistic illustration of how Chinese Buddhist architecture was blended in to Japanese culture. In fact, it also has religious historical importance, seeing as how the constructions took place in tandem with the introduction of Buddhism by China to Japan. This was the reason why the monuments collectively formed part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993.

Ogasawara Islands

Comprised of more than 30 islands, the entire area of the Ogasawara Islands is about 7,939 hectares, and is filled with various beautiful landscapes. It is also home to a wide variety of fauna, especially the Bonin Flying Fox, an endangered species.

It is home to 195 more endangered bird species. The ecological importance of these islands have allowed its enlistment as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.