Himeji-jo

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/661

Himeji-jo is a well preserved wooden castle, combining both functional use and aesthetic appeal. The castle is also known as Shirasagi, the white heron, because of its gracefulness.

Its origins date to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346, and then remodeled into Himeji Castle two centuries later in 1581. The current building is still the over 400 years old original.

The castle consists of 83 buildings, and has a highly developed defense system. The (wooden) walls are stuck with fireproof white plaster. They have openings for firing guns and shooting arrows, and also for pouring boiling water or oil on unwelcome visitors.

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/id/661

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, it has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/775

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) is a symbol of world peace after the destruction created by the first atom bomb. The building, a former industrial promotion site, was the only one left standing near the centre of the explosion.

The US and China had their doubts about the inscription. The representative of the US spoke of a : "... lack of historical perspective, and protested against this and future inscription of war sites." His Chinese colleague stated that: "it was the other Asian countries and peoples who suffered the greatest loss in life and property during World War II, and that this inscription might be misused by people who deny this fact." 

The park that now surrounds this monument has various other smaller monuments, to honor special groups of victims. There is also a museum where you can see the effects of the bomb on humans and artefacts. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site.php?id=775

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of national government was consolidated and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the fountainhead of Japanese culture. The city's historic monuments – Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the great Imperial Palace – provide a vivid picture of life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/870

The Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara comprise Buddhist and Shinto religious buildings that show the evolution of Japanese architecture. 

The designated area consists of eight separate locations: 

- Buddhist temples Todai-ji (on the postcard), Kôfuku-ji, Gango-ji, Yakushi-ji and Tôshôdai-ji

- Nara Palace

- Shinto shrine Kasuga-Taisha

- Kasugayama Primeval Forest 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/ancientnara.html

Yakushima

Located in the interior of Yaku Island, at the meeting-point of the palaearctic and oriental biotic regions, Yakushima exhibits a rich flora, with some 1,900 species and subspecies, including ancient specimens of the sugi (Japanese cedar). It also contains a remnant of a warm-temperate ancient forest that is unique in this region.

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Yakushima is an island that contains the remains of a warm-temperate ancient forest and is the last ecosystem dominated by the Japanese cedar. There are high peaks up to 2000m, all covered in dense forest. Together they form a superb scenic setting.

The Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) or Yakusugi is endemic to the island. It is a very large evergreen tree that can reach up to 70m. Some of the trees are thousands years old. The sacred values of the ancient forests of Yakusugi are also recognized.

Yakushima is Japan's wettest place, and precipitation in Yakushima is one of the world's highest at 4,000 to 10,000 mm. It also is the southernmost place in Japan where there is snow in the mountains.

The site has similarities with Tasmanian Wilderness, Garajonay and the Scandola Reserve. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/yakushima.html

Shrines and Temples of Nikko

The shrines and temples of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries been a sacred site known for its architectural and decorative masterpieces. They are closely associated with the history of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913

The Shrines and Temples of Nikko are a traditional Japanese religious centre with Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The surroundings of Nikko have been known for ages as a holy place. The temples and other shrines in this area originate from the 17th century and attract attention because of their rich decorations. 

The well known carvings of the three see-no-evil, speak-no-evil, hear-no-evil monkeys can be seen on the Sacred Stable. A few steps from that, the Youmeimon gate boasts over 300 carvings of mythical beasts, such as dragons, giraffes, and lions, and Chinese sages. 

Another reason for rewarding Nikko is that it is associated with the Shinto perception of the relationship of man with nature, in which mountains and forests have a sacred meaning and are objects of veneration. The mountaneous landscape, the trees, the rocks: they all form part of the site Nikko. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/nikko.html

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites – Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, Koyasan – linked by pilgrimage routes to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, reflect the fusion of Shinto, rooted in the ancient tradition of nature worship in Japan, and Buddhism, which was introduced from China and the Korean Peninsula. The sites (495.3 ha) and their surrounding forest landscape reflect a persistent and extraordinarily well-documented tradition of sacred mountains over 1,200 years. The area, with its abundance of streams, rivers and waterfalls, is still part of the living culture of Japan and is much visited for ritual purposes and hiking, with up to 15 million visitors annually. Each of the three sites contains shrines, some of which were founded as early as the 9th century.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1142

The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range are testimony to the Shinto belief and its fusion into Shinto-Buddhism. The three sacred sites lie in the forests of the Kii Mountains. They have attracted pilgrims since the 11th or 12th century.

The included sites consist of:

- three main wooden shrines: Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan and Koyasan

- three main pilgrimage routes

- sacred natural objects (trees, forests, mountains)

- stone mausolea and stupas at Koyasan

Okuno-in 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/kiimountainrange.html

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses with their steeply pitched thatched roofs are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/734

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are traditional Japanese settlements.

The houses in the villages in the valley are unique to Japan. They are very big, and have thick thatched roofs that come down steeply. This way the snow can slide off the roofs. There is also enough space under the roofs to store supplies for long winters. The inhabitants of these villages used to earn their money in the silk-industry. They lived a very secluded life. 

In Japanese, the houses are called Gassho-zukuri. Gassho means praying hands, suggesting the form of hands raised in prayer to the buddha. Here it refers to the triangular shape of the roof. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/shokawavalley.html

Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)

Built in A.D. 794 on the model of the capitals of ancient China, Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from its foundation until the middle of the 19th century. As the centre of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years, Kyoto illustrates the development of Japanese wooden architecture, particularly religious architecture, and the art of Japanese gardens, which has influenced landscape gardening the world over.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/688

The Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) represent the imperial capital of Japan and formed the center of Japanese culture for thousand years (from 794). This still can be seen in the religious wooden architecture, and the landscape gardens. 

The following 17 buildings were recognized by the Unesco: 

- Kamigamo Shrine 

- Shimogamo Shrine 

- Toji Temple 

- Kiyomizu Temple 

- Hieizan Enryakuji Temple 

- Daigoji Temple 

- Ninnaji Temple 

- Byodoin Temple (on the postcard)

- Ujigami Shrine 

- Kozanji Temple 

- Kokedera/Moss Temple 

- Tenryuji Temple

- Kinkakuji Temple/Golden Pavilion

- Ginkakuji Temple/Silver Pavilion

- Ryoanji Temple

- Nishi-Hongwanji Temple

- Nijo Castle 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/ancientkyoto.html

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

Hiraizumi - Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land comprises five sites, including the sacred Mount Kinkeisan. It features vestiges of government offices dating from the 11th and 12th centuries when Hiraizumi was the administrative centre of the northern realm of Japan and rivalled Kyoto. The realm was based on the cosmology of Pure Land Buddhism, which spread to Japan in the 8th century. It represented the pure land of Buddha that people aspire to after death, as well as peace of mind in this life. In combination with indigenous Japanese nature worship and Shintoism, Pure Land Buddhism developed a concept of planning and garden design that was unique to Japan.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1277

Hiraizumi–Temples, Gardens, Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land comprises Buddhist properties enshrining Amida Buddha and gardens made for the purpose of representing a Buddhist Pure Land.

The Ôshû Fujiwara family turned Hiraizumi into the political and administrative centre of the northern realm of Japan at the early 12th century. The town was located in a borderzone with the far north, where the indigenous people lived and where the power of the central government did not reach. The rulers set about constructing a country based on Buddhism, of which Hiraizumi was the main city. Its layout is seen as reflecting the cosmology of Pure Land Buddhism. This lead for example to a fusion of Chinese/Korean with Japanese garden design (adding the ethos of nature worship).

The city developed over a period of around 100 years, its prosperity based on wealth accumulated from gold production. Almost all of it was destroyed in 1189 when rule was taken over by rivals.

The following five sites are included:

• Chûson-ji - temple and buried garden remains. This was the spiritual heart of the city. The main surviving 12th century building is the Chûsonji Konjikidô (Golden Hall). The building later became a mausoleum in which are the mummified remains of four lords of the Ôshû Fujiwara family.

• Môtsû-ji – temple remains and reconstructed garden. The garden layout contains a variety of elements such an island, cove beach, cape, vertical stone and a 4 metre high artificial hill. 

• Kanjizaiô-in Ato – remains of temples and reconstructed garden. Includes a simple pond which shape is consistent with guidelines in the Sakuteiki ("Ponds should be constructed in the shape of a tortoise or a crane.")

• Muryôkô-in Ato – archeological site of temple and buried garden.

• The sacred Mount Kinkeisan – nearly 100m high and a central reference point for constructing the city.

The Yanaginogosho Iseki (site of government offices) was part of the nomination too, but has been rejected at inscription because it had no link with the Pure Land and had no OUV of its own. After an earlier deferral in 2008, the number of designated locations already had shrunk from 9 to 6. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/hiraizumi.html

Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration

The beauty of the solitary, often snow-capped, stratovolcano, known around the world as Mount Fuji, rising above villages and tree-fringed sea and lakes has long been the object of pilgrimages and inspired artists and poets. The inscribed property consists of 25 sites which reflect the essence of Fujisan’s sacred and artistic landscape. In the 12th century, Fujisan became the centre of training for ascetic Buddhism, which included Shinto elements. On the upper 1,500-metre tier of the 3,776m mountain, pilgrim routes and crater shrines have been inscribed alongside sites around the base of the mountain including Sengen-jinja shrines, Oshi lodging houses, and natural volcanic features such as lava tree moulds, lakes, springs and waterfalls, which are revered as sacred. Its representation in Japanese art goes back to the 11th century, but 19th century woodblock prints of views, including those from sand beaches with pine tree groves have made Fujisan an internationally recognized icon of Japan and have had a deep impact on the development of Western art. 

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418

Fujisan is a volcanic mount revered as sacred and inspirational in the Shinto belief. The site consists of a serial nomination of 25 monuments . Pilgrims have climbed this stratovolcano since ancient times. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/fujisan.html