Hello, everyone!
We hope you are all staying cool and healthy during these hot summer days!
Today, we bring you some incredibly "hot" and major news from our home, Nara, that is sure to blow the summer heat away!
Right now, the "Asuka-Fujiwara" region in Nara is attracting massive attention from all over the world.
And the reason is truly spectacular...
After many long years of anticipation by the local community, the "Palace and Cultural Landscape of Asuka-Fujiwara" has been officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!!!
(Note: "Asuka-Fujiwara" refers to an area in central-southern Nara where Japan’s very first centralized capital cities were built.)
A huge congratulations to all the locals who made this happen!!
Did you know how long and challenging the journey was for Asuka-Fujiwara to achieve this status? We would love to share this incredible story with you.
Before we dive into the main topic, let us tell you a little bit about how difficult it actually is to become a World Heritage Site. The process requires a mind-boggling number of steps, each taking years of effort.
To put it simply, there are 5 major steps:
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The Tentative List: The national government adds the site to a list of future candidates.
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Gathering Evidence & Local Support: Locals collect undeniable proof of the site’s historical value and set up systems to protect it.
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Official Nomination: The government officially submits the nomination to UNESCO.
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Rigorous On-site Evaluation: International experts spend about a year conducting strict inspections on location.
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The Final Decision: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee holds its annual meeting, reviews the site, and if approved, it is officially inscribed!
While it sounds straightforward on paper, the time it took for "Asuka-Fujiwara" to move from Step 1 to final registration was actually...
20 years!!
So long! It has been an incredibly lengthy and arduous journey.
Why did it take so much time? To solve this mystery, let's look back at the history of Asuka-Fujiwara's path alongside those steps.
It all started in the early 2000s. The local municipalities of Kashihara City, Sakurai City, and Asuka Village—the very cradle where the ancient Japanese state was born—united with a passionate dream to share this heritage with the world.
Then, in 2007, they successfully made it onto the "Tentative List" (Step 1)! While everyone hoped for a smooth sail from there, the real trial was just beginning.
As UNESCO’s criteria became stricter year by year, gathering the "undeniable evidence" (Step 2) to prove its universal value took more than 15 long years.
Even when it felt discouraging, the unwavering dedication and passion of the local people finally bore fruit. In 2024, the Japanese government officially nominated the site to UNESCO. The rigorous on-site inspection by international experts was also successfully passed!
Following the official recommendation for inscription in June 2026, the final and glorious approval was made at the World Heritage Committee meeting in July. The 20-year-long dream of the local community has finally come true!
We got a bit carried away with our excitement today, so in our next post, we will introduce the fascinating historical details and specific highlights of the Asuka-Fujiwara site!
Once again, a heartfelt congratulations to everyone in our local community!