Asuka-Fujiwara Capital Sites in Nara Added to World Heritage List

Jul 28, 2026 | News On Japan

NARA - UNESCO has formally added the Asuka-Fujiwara capital sites in Nara Prefecture to its World Cultural Heritage list, bringing the number of World Heritage properties in Japan to 27.

The decision was made on July 28 at a meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. The committee recognized the sites for demonstrating exchanges between Japan, China and the Korean Peninsula and for their major cultural influence on later periods.

"This is a proud moment for Nara Prefecture, and I thank everyone who made the registration possible," Nara Governor Makoto Yamashita said. "Today marks a new beginning for the Asuka-Fujiwara capital sites."

The property consists of 19 component sites dating from the late sixth century to the early eighth century, spread across Asuka Village and the cities of Kashihara and Sakurai. Together, they illustrate the process through which Japan's centralized system of government emerged and became established during the Asuka period.

The sites include the Takamatsuzuka Tomb, known for the vividly colored national treasure murals commonly called the "Asuka Beauties"; the remains of Asuka Palace, believed to have housed the courts of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito; and Asukadera Temple, regarded as Japan's first fully established Buddhist temple.

Nara Prefecture and other local authorities proposed in 2006 that the Asuka-Fujiwara capital and associated archaeological sites be placed on Japan's tentative list for World Heritage nomination. The designation was secured after a campaign lasting about 20 years.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who was born in Nara Prefecture, said the government would "steadfastly protect this precious cultural heritage, which has become a treasure of the world from a treasure of Japan, and reliably pass it on to future generations."

Typhoon 31 Intensifies Over Pacific as Forecast Shifts Toward Japan

Typhoon No. 31 remained a very strong storm over the western Pacific as of 3 p.m. Japan time on October 27, with forecasts indicating that it could approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands around November 1, bringing potentially violent winds, dangerous waves and disruptions to maritime transportation, while uncertainty over its northward turn raised concerns about prolonged storm conditions.

Japan Faces Further Travel Disruption as Storm Moves East

Travel disruption continued into Tuesday, October 27, as Japan began recovering from heavy rain and rough seas caused by the remnants of Typhoon No. 30, with ferry cancellations confirmed in Nagasaki Prefecture and railway operators monitoring the effects of overnight rainfall in central and eastern Japan.

Controversial Penalty Decision Ends Tokyo High School Soccer Match

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

Kanagawa Maglev Station Platform Unveiled for First Time

The underground platform of the planned Kanagawa Prefecture Station on Japan's Chuo Shinkansen maglev line was opened to the public for the first time on October 24, offering visitors a rare glimpse of the high-speed railway project under construction in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, with demand for the tour exceeding available places by approximately 12 times.

Japan's Terra Drone Supplies Weapons to Ukraine as Russia Warns of Retaliation

Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone has delivered interceptor drones to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for the first time, prompting Russia to threaten retaliatory measures on October 21, as Japan considers expanding domestic drone production and strengthening its coastal defenses through thousands of unmanned aircraft.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Chiba Town Suffers Three Weeks of Flooding

Heavy rain linked to former Typhoon No. 30 continued to affect large parts of Japan on October 26, with authorities warning of potentially dangerous rainfall from the Kanto region to Shikoku, raising concerns in Chiba Prefecture's Shisui Town, where flooding caused by Typhoon No. 25 last month left homes and roads submerged for nearly three weeks.

Asuka Village Tackles Overtourism After World Heritage Listing

Asuka Village in Nara Prefecture is introducing new measures to control rising visitor numbers following the July 2026 World Heritage registration of the 'Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological Sites of Japan's Ancient Capitals,' seeking to protect its historic landscapes and residents' daily lives while benefiting from growing international interest.

Kanagawa Maglev Station Platform Unveiled for First Time

Autumn Festivals Continue Across Japan

Japan marked the final Sunday of October with traditional autumn events across the country on October 25, including a spectacular water discharge drill at the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, a seasonal salmon feast in Miyagi Prefecture, and a parade of northeastern Japan's most famous festivals in Tokyo, despite widespread rain caused by a stationary autumn rain front.

Autumn Colors Sweep Across Tateyama in Japan's Northern Alps

The Northern Alps in central Japan have entered the height of their autumn colors, with the alpine landscape around Tateyama's Murodo Plateau in Toyama Prefecture offering spectacular views of red and yellow vegetation, rugged mountain ridges and the rare Japanese rock ptarmigan, a protected bird species whose survival depends on the delicate balance of the mountain ecosystem.

Japan Introduces Personalized Motorcycle License Plates

Motorcycle owners across Japan can now choose their preferred license plate numbers under a new system introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 19th, with popular numbers allocated by lottery and applications costing between 2,500 and 3,000 yen.

Hokkaido Hits Minus 4.3 Degrees as Autumn Chill Spreads Across Japan

Temperatures fell to their lowest levels of the season across much of Japan on the morning of October 18, with Rikubetsu in Hokkaido recording minus 4.3 degrees Celsius, the country's lowest temperature so far this autumn, before sunshine brought warmer conditions during the day and some areas experienced unseasonably hot weather.

Kyoto's 10,000 Yen Tourist Tax: Where Is the Money Going?

Kyoto City expects revenue from its accommodation tax to more than double to approximately 13.2 billion yen this fiscal year following a substantial increase in the maximum nightly levy to 10,000 yen, as the city seeks to address overtourism and ease the pressure that millions of visitors place on residents and public infrastructure.

< 2 3 4 5 >