Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 4.18
Main actors of the
World Cultural Heritage
movement in the Nagasaki
Church Group (Endo
2005
;
Matsui
2007
)
4.2.2
Distribution and Characteristics of World Heritage Sites
UNESCO adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and
Natural Heritage at a general meeting in 1972. By July 2009, 185 countries had rati-
fi ed the convention and 890 sites were registered. Japan ratifi ed the Convention in
1992 and was the last the major industrial countries to do so. World Heritage sites
fall into three major categories: cultural heritage, natural heritage, and mixed heri-
tage sites. Fewer than 80 % (689) of all sites were cultural heritage sites.
Cultural heritage sites may contain constructions such as monuments, buildings,
ruins, or cultural landscapes that are of remarkable universal value. Any object of a
certain historical, scientifi c, artistic or anthropological value may be nominated.
Similarly, natural heritage sites may have special topographical or geological fea-
tures, particular ecosystems, endangered animal and plant habitations or areas,
objects of universal scientifi c value that need to be conserved, or have particular
native beauty. A mixed heritage site is anything that meets both stipulations (Agency
for Cultural Affairs
2009
).
The registration procedure is as follows: A country creates a tentative list in
advance, the World Heritage Committee examines and makes a judgment, and the
sites are then offi cially registered. Japan has registered eleven cultural and three
natural heritage sites. The criteria for registering a World Cultural Heritage site are
given in Table
4.1
. At least one of the ten conditions must be met, with an important
standard being whether the committee acknowledges the object possesses remark-
able universal value. The object must have been deemed to possess special value in
human history, be authentic, and have particular integrity (Ueno
2007
). Cultural
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