A thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo” (Live Sports/News) board asked which Japanese cultural properties and natural sites should be registered as World Heritage Sites next. The thread starter proposed candidates like the Ashio Copper Mine and Hokkaido University, and asked other posters to suggest one more. Some argued the Ashio Copper Mine — the site of Japan’s first major pollution disaster — should be registered as “negative heritage,” much like the Atomic Bomb Dome, while others pointed out that Hokkaido University is “Japan’s first modern institution of higher education, older than the University of Tokyo.” From there the discussion expanded to Ise Grand Shrine, Kamakura, Tokyo Station, Mt. Takao, and Mitsumine Shrine, with posters disagreeing over just what counts as “World Heritage-worthy.”
What do you think the last one should be?!
By the way, here's the current list of Japan's World Heritage Sites (as of September 2026)
※★ = Natural Heritage, ● = Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution, no mark = other Cultural Heritage
【Hokkaido】
★Shiretoko (Jomon Prehistoric Sites)
【Tohoku Region】
★Shirakami-Sanchi Hiraizumi/Chuson-ji Konjikido, etc. ●Kamaishi/Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site Jomon Prehistoric Sites
【Kanto Region (excluding islands)】
Tomioka Silk Mill Shrines and Temples of Nikko/Nikko Toshogu, etc. National Museum of Western Art
【Kanto Region (islands)】
★Ogasawara Islands
【Hokuriku Region】
Shirakawa-go Sado Island Gold Mines
【Tokai Region】
●Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaces
【Kinki (Kansai) Region】
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara Horyu-ji Temple Asuka-Fujiwara Capital Sites Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Tumulus Clusters Himeji Castle Kii Mountain Range/Kumano Kodo
【Chugoku Region】※Note: Shikoku Region has none
Atomic Bomb Dome Itsukushima Shrine Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine ●Hagi Reverberatory Furnaces, Shokasonjuku Academy, etc.
【Kyushu Region (excluding Nansei Islands)】
Munakata/Okinoshima ●Yahata Steel Works ●Miike Coal Mine ●Mietsu Naval Dockyard Site ●Nagasaki Shipyard Hidden Christian Sites in the Amakusa Region ●Former Shuseikan
【Nansei Islands】
★Yakushima ★Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island Ryukyu Kingdom/Shuri Castle, etc.
※★ = Natural Heritage, ● = Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution, no mark = other Cultural Heritage
【Hokkaido】
★Shiretoko (Jomon Prehistoric Sites)
【Tohoku Region】
★Shirakami-Sanchi Hiraizumi/Chuson-ji Konjikido, etc. ●Kamaishi/Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site Jomon Prehistoric Sites
【Kanto Region (excluding islands)】
Tomioka Silk Mill Shrines and Temples of Nikko/Nikko Toshogu, etc. National Museum of Western Art
【Kanto Region (islands)】
★Ogasawara Islands
【Hokuriku Region】
Shirakawa-go Sado Island Gold Mines
【Tokai Region】
●Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaces
【Kinki (Kansai) Region】
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara Horyu-ji Temple Asuka-Fujiwara Capital Sites Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Tumulus Clusters Himeji Castle Kii Mountain Range/Kumano Kodo
【Chugoku Region】※Note: Shikoku Region has none
Atomic Bomb Dome Itsukushima Shrine Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine ●Hagi Reverberatory Furnaces, Shokasonjuku Academy, etc.
【Kyushu Region (excluding Nansei Islands)】
Munakata/Okinoshima ●Yahata Steel Works ●Miike Coal Mine ●Mietsu Naval Dockyard Site ●Nagasaki Shipyard Hidden Christian Sites in the Amakusa Region ●Former Shuseikan
【Nansei Islands】
★Yakushima ★Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island Ryukyu Kingdom/Shuri Castle, etc.
Re: #3
By the way, by prefecture, Iwate and Nara have the most (three World Heritage Sites each):
・Iwate: Hiraizumi, Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site, Gosho-no Site (Jomon)
・Nara: Horyu-ji, Ancient Nara, Asuka-Fujiwara
(Note: If Yahata and Miike get counted separately, Fukuoka would also have three — the other one being Munakata.)
By the way, by prefecture, Iwate and Nara have the most (three World Heritage Sites each):
・Iwate: Hiraizumi, Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site, Gosho-no Site (Jomon)
・Nara: Horyu-ji, Ancient Nara, Asuka-Fujiwara
(Note: If Yahata and Miike get counted separately, Fukuoka would also have three — the other one being Munakata.)
Re: #4
Kumano Kodo runs through Nara too, so that makes Nara four.
Kumano Kodo runs through Nara too, so that makes Nara four.
Re: #4
Kagoshima has three as well:
Yakushima (Natural Heritage) — registered 1993
Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (Natural Heritage) — registered 2021
Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution (Cultural Heritage) — registered 2015
Kagoshima has three as well:
Yakushima (Natural Heritage) — registered 1993
Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (Natural Heritage) — registered 2021
Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution (Cultural Heritage) — registered 2015
・Ashio Copper Mine (Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture; formerly Ashio Town, Kamitsuga District)
Because it was the site of Japan's first pollution disaster.
It should be registered as "negative heritage," like the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.
・Lake Chuzenji (Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture)
The Shrines and Temples of Nikko (Nikko Toshogu, Nikkosan Rinno-ji, etc.) are already registered as Cultural Heritage, so I'd like Lake Chuzenji registered as Natural Heritage too.
By the way, the lake originally had no fish at all, but it's now famous as a trout habitat.
Hokkaido University (formerly Sapporo Agricultural College)
Because it's Japan's first modern university.
It was actually founded before the University of Tokyo (Todai).
Its flagship faculties are Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Fisheries Sciences (though Fisheries is based in Hakodate).
The Veterinary Medicine faculty in particular is said to be on par with Todai's Science II track, and harder to get into than some mediocre medical schools.
Re: #8
People sometimes say "Hokkaido University (Sapporo) is a branch campus of Tohoku University (Sendai)," but strictly speaking the school itself actually existed in Sapporo first — it just relocated its headquarters to Sendai.
By the way, Tohoku University is strong in the sciences (especially engineering), but not so strong in the humanities…
(In fact, Akita International University (AIU) is considered a higher level, so Tohoku University isn't even the top school in the Tohoku region.)
People sometimes say "Hokkaido University (Sapporo) is a branch campus of Tohoku University (Sendai)," but strictly speaking the school itself actually existed in Sapporo first — it just relocated its headquarters to Sendai.
By the way, Tohoku University is strong in the sciences (especially engineering), but not so strong in the humanities…
(In fact, Akita International University (AIU) is considered a higher level, so Tohoku University isn't even the top school in the Tohoku region.)
Re: #8
Why? That'd make sense if we were talking about the Tokaido Main Line or Tohoku Main Line, but…
Why? That'd make sense if we were talking about the Tokaido Main Line or Tohoku Main Line, but…
Re: #8
Isn't this one weirdly weak compared to the rest?
Isn't this one weirdly weak compared to the rest?
Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station
Re: #14
Yamato-Saidaiji Station (Nara City, Nara Prefecture)
Yamato-Saidaiji Station (Nara City, Nara Prefecture)
Re: #50
Yeah, true… I always pictured Shikoku as having more historical heritage than Tohoku (aside from Iwate) or Hokkaido, though…
Yeah, true… I always pictured Shikoku as having more historical heritage than Tohoku (aside from Iwate) or Hokkaido, though…
Re: #9
Also, the admission difficulty (hensachi) for the Faculty of Letters is actually higher at Hokkaido University — even though Hokudai has a reputation as the weakest of the old imperial universities.
(Though that's partly because Tohoku University requires math on its second-stage exam even for the Faculty of Letters, while Hokkaido University lets you compete using history/geography instead.)
Also, the admission difficulty (hensachi) for the Faculty of Letters is actually higher at Hokkaido University — even though Hokudai has a reputation as the weakest of the old imperial universities.
(Though that's partly because Tohoku University requires math on its second-stage exam even for the Faculty of Letters, while Hokkaido University lets you compete using history/geography instead.)
・Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store (MITSUKOSHI)
Because it was Asia's first full-fledged department store! Its contribution is huge.
The building itself is a work of art — a lion statue stands at the main entrance, and there's a massive sculpture in the central hall. It's not just a department store anymore, it's the "King of Department Stores."
By the way, the Mitsukoshi main store is also one of the few department stores designated an Important Cultural Property by the government! (The other is Nihombashi Takashimaya.)
Re: #19
The magnificent escalators of Mitsukoshi Main Store
The lion statue at the main entrance
The massive sculpture in the central hall, the "Tennyo (Magokoro)" — "Celestial Maiden of Sincerity" — statue
The magnificent escalators of Mitsukoshi Main Store
The lion statue at the main entrance
The massive sculpture in the central hall, the "Tennyo (Magokoro)" — "Celestial Maiden of Sincerity" — statue
・Nagasaki Peace Park
I think it's strange that Hiroshima's Atomic Bomb Dome is registered but Nagasaki's isn't.
・Okawa Elementary School (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture; formerly Kahoku Town, Monou District)
To pass down to future generations the damage from the massive tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake (the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake), and the lesson of what happens when disaster response goes wrong.
It should be registered as negative heritage alongside Hiroshima's Atomic Bomb Dome.
・Usui Pass Railway Facilities (Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture; Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture)
The Abt rack railway that conquered Japan's steepest grade was a huge achievement.
Though its job is done now that the Hokuriku Shinkansen (formerly the Nagano Shinkansen) has opened.
AI illustrations of Mabel-chan and friends visiting Shirakami-Sanchi, Honshu's only Natural Heritage site
Rabbit girl "Mabel-chan"
(kimono version)
Rabbit girl "Pacifica-chan"
(Dragon Ball-style [Akira Toriyama-style] AI art)
Rabbit girl "Wendy-chan"
(Dragon Ball-style [Akira Toriyama-style] AI art)
Rabbit girl "Mabel-chan"
(kimono version)
Rabbit girl "Pacifica-chan"
(Dragon Ball-style [Akira Toriyama-style] AI art)
Rabbit girl "Wendy-chan"
(Dragon Ball-style [Akira Toriyama-style] AI art)
Re: #24
Tetsugaku News! (a well-known 2ch/5ch aggregator blog)
Please do a write-up on this one!
Tetsugaku News! (a well-known 2ch/5ch aggregator blog)
Please do a write-up on this one!
Forget Hokudai, it should be Yoshimi Hyakuana.
Re: #26
But Hokudai is Japan's first modern institution of higher education — the first school where you could earn a bachelor's degree (i.e., a university).
It's older than the Imperial University of Tokyo.
But Hokudai is Japan's first modern institution of higher education — the first school where you could earn a bachelor's degree (i.e., a university).
It's older than the Imperial University of Tokyo.
Re: #26
Isn't Yoshimi in Saitama Prefecture?
Isn't Yoshimi in Saitama Prefecture?
Re: #26
Yoshimi Hyakuana (Hundred Caves) (Yoshimi Town, Hiki District, Saitama Prefecture)
Yoshimi Hyakuana (Hundred Caves) (Yoshimi Town, Hiki District, Saitama Prefecture)
Goryokaku (Hakodate City, Hokkaido; formerly Kameda City)
・Ise Grand Shrine⛩ (Ise City, Mie Prefecture)
Because it enshrines Amaterasu Omikami, ancestor of the Imperial family (the Emperor), making it Japan's most sacred shrine.
Ancient Capital of the Samurai — Kamakura (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Because it's the birthplace of Japan's first samurai government, the Kamakura Shogunate.
If Ancient Kyoto and Ancient Nara made the cut, I think Ancient Kamakura should too!
Re: #11
・Lake Inbanuma
A lake/marsh located in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, and surrounding areas.
If registered, it would be Chiba's first World Heritage Site.
By the way, it's also famous for eel.
That's actually why eel is one of Narita City's local specialties.
・Lake Inbanuma
A lake/marsh located in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, and surrounding areas.
If registered, it would be Chiba's first World Heritage Site.
By the way, it's also famous for eel.
That's actually why eel is one of Narita City's local specialties.
Re: #41
The one in Aichi Prefecture would be fine, though.
The one in Aichi Prefecture would be fine, though.
Re: #47
Oh, the one in Gamagori City! Isn't that a National Natural Monument?
Oh, the one in Gamagori City! Isn't that a National Natural Monument?
It's weird how Shirakami-Sanchi is a World Heritage Site but Okuchichibu isn't.
Re: #70
Well, there's Mitsumine Shrine there…
Though if it goes the "Mt. Fuji route" (aiming for Cultural Heritage instead of Natural Heritage), Okuchichibu might have a shot too.
Also, Shirakami-Sanchi does tend to feel overshadowed next to the other Natural Heritage sites…
Though it is technically Honshu's only Natural Heritage site.
Well, there's Mitsumine Shrine there…
Though if it goes the "Mt. Fuji route" (aiming for Cultural Heritage instead of Natural Heritage), Okuchichibu might have a shot too.
Also, Shirakami-Sanchi does tend to feel overshadowed next to the other Natural Heritage sites…
Though it is technically Honshu's only Natural Heritage site.
Re: #70
Maybe because Chichibu just isn't that impressive?
Maybe because Chichibu just isn't that impressive?
Re: #70
Shirakami-Sanchi is an old-growth beech forest.
Though unlike Shiretoko and places like it, it's not really developed for tourism, so it's a bit lackluster as a sightseeing spot…
Shirakami-Sanchi is an old-growth beech forest.
Though unlike Shiretoko and places like it, it's not really developed for tourism, so it's a bit lackluster as a sightseeing spot…
Mitsumine Shrine⛩ (Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture)
Re: #81
What exactly about this is world-class heritage?
What exactly about this is world-class heritage?
・Tokyo Station (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo)
Japan's premier mega-terminal station.
It's the starting point for the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, Tohoku/Hokkaido Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Chuo Main Line, Sobu Rapid Line, Yokosuka Line, Keiyo Line, and more.
Also, there are only three stations in Japan designated as Important Cultural Properties: Tokyo Station, Mojiko Station (Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture), and Taisha Station (Shimane Prefecture).
・Mt. Hakodate (Hakodate City, Hokkaido)
Because it offers the most beautiful night view in Japan!
Mt. Takao
With that much name recognition and a decent amount of history, nobody would complain.
With that much name recognition and a decent amount of history, nobody would complain.
Re: #95
Well, it definitely draws way more tourists than Shirakami-Sanchi or Hiraizumi, and it's easy to reach too (thanks to the JR Chuo Rapid Line and the Keio Line).
(Though to be fair, you can also reach Hiraizumi by switching to the Tohoku Main Line from the Tohoku Shinkansen at Ichinoseki or Kitakami Station.)
Well, it definitely draws way more tourists than Shirakami-Sanchi or Hiraizumi, and it's easy to reach too (thanks to the JR Chuo Rapid Line and the Keio Line).
(Though to be fair, you can also reach Hiraizumi by switching to the Tohoku Main Line from the Tohoku Shinkansen at Ichinoseki or Kitakami Station.)
Background and Talking Points
A site only becomes a World Heritage Site after the government first places it on a “Tentative List” and it then clears UNESCO review — simply being named in a forum thread doesn’t make it an official candidate. The idea of preserving the Ashio Copper Mine, the origin point of Japan’s pollution problems, as “negative heritage” — and the push to keep ruins like Okawa Elementary School as a reminder of the lessons from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami — echo real, ongoing debates happening across Japan, with the Atomic Bomb Dome as a precedent. At the same time, while some posters championed the historical value of places like Hokkaido University and the Nihombashi Mitsukoshi main store, others were skeptical about Mitsumine Shrine, asking “what exactly about this is world-class heritage?” — and that gap in what counts as “World Heritage-worthy” is a big part of what fueled the discussion. The little-known fact that Hokkaido University predates the Imperial University of Tokyo also caught people’s attention as a surprising bit of history.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo) thread “[Top 4] Japanese Cultural Properties and Nature That Should Be the Next World Heritage Site: “Sanriku Coast,” “Ashio Copper Mine,” “Hokkaido University”.”
