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  • Toward the World Heritage inscription of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group

Toward the World Heritage inscription of
the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group

State Parties to the World Heritage Convention can submit nominations for cultural and natural properties of "Outstanding Universal Value" to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. Each State Party first submits an inventory of potential future candidates for World Heritage, known as the "Tentative List," to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. In Japan, nominations for inscription on the World Heritage List (referred to below as "nominations") are first prepared for properties to be registered on the World Heritage Tentative List. At the same time, the "justification of Outstanding Universal Value" and "secure protective measures by domestic systems" are studied in connection with the candidate sites. Finally, the Japanese nominations are decided by the Special Commission on World Heritage of the Council for Cultural Affairs (decisions on nominations by the Agency for Cultural Affairs) and the Inter-Ministerial/Agency Coordination Committee for World Heritage Convention (decisions on nominations by the Government). The nominations are first submitted for review by the advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee (ICOMOS for cultural heritage, IUCN for natural heritage*) (including an on-site evaluation mission). They are then deliberated on by the World Heritage Committee, which makes the final decision on whether to inscribe the sites. *ICOMOS: International Council for Monuments and Sites
  IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Processes preceding inclusion on the World Heritage Tentative List

"Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters"* is included on the World Heritage Tentative List. In other words, it is a candidate for World Heritage site status.
*The property has been nominated to UNESCO with the revised English name “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan.”
FY2006 The Agency for Cultural Affairs invited all local authorities in Japan to submit candidate sites for inclusion on the World Heritage Tentative List (previously, the Government selected sites for nomination to UNESCO).
September 26, 2007 In a joint initiative by Osaka Prefecture and Sakai, Habikino, and Fujiidera Cities, "Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters" was submitted to the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a candidate site for inclusion on the World Heritage Tentative List.
September 26, 2008 The Council for Cultural Affairs Special Commission on World Heritage selected Mozu-Furuichi as "suitable for inclusion on the World Heritage Tentative List" (but with conditions).
October 2008 The Advisory Council of Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun for World Cultural Heritage Inscription was established.
August 2009 The Joint Conference of Osaka Prefectural Government and Relevant City Governments to Promote Inscription of Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun as a World Cultural Heritage Site was established.
November 22, 2010
Inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
  • June 14, 2010: Listing acknowledged by the Council for Cultural Affairs Special Commission on World Heritage.
  • October 6, 2010: Listing acknowledged by the Inter-Ministerial/Agency Coordination Committee for World Heritage.

Processes from inscription on the Tentative List to inscription on the World Heritage List

The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group is aiming at inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019.
Shortest possible schedule FY2011
May 12th, 2011
  • The Conference Headquarters for the Promotion of Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun for World Cultural Heritage Inscription was established (members include the Governor of Osaka Prefecture and the Mayors of Sakai, Habikino, and Fujiidera Cities).
  • Decision to aim for inscription in 2015 at the earliest.
FY2012
  • A draft nomination was produced through discussions with the Agency for Cultural Affairs and other experts.
  • Enhanced PR efforts inside and outside Osaka Prefecture, and implemented initiatives aimed at fostering positivity.
FY2013
June 04th, 2013
  • Draft nomination submitted to the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs by the Vice Governor of Osaka Prefecture and the Mayors of Sakai, Habikino, and Fujiidera Cities.
August 23rd, 2013
  • The Council for Cultural Affairs Special Commission on World Heritage did not select Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group to be nominated from Japan this fiscal year.
November 26th, 2013
  • Taking the proposed result and issues raised by the Council in August, the Conference Headquarters revised the target year for inscription on the World Heritage List to 2017 (i.e., nomination from the Government of Japan in 2015).
FY2014
  • Production of draft nomination through discussions with the Agency for Cultural Affairs and other experts.
  • Enhanced PR efforts inside and outside Osaka Prefecture, and implemented initiatives aimed at fostering positivity.
March 2015
  • Draft nomination submitted to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
FY2015
July 28th, 2015
  • The Council for Cultural Affairs Special Commission on World Heritage did not select the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group to be nominated from Japan this fiscal year.
August 24th, 2015
  • Taking the proposed result and issues raised by the Council in July, the Conference Headquarters revised the target year for inscription on the World Heritage List to 2018 (i.e., nomination from the Government of Japan in 2016).
March 31st, 2016
  • Draft nomination submitted to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
FY2016
July 25th, 2016
  • The Council for Cultural Affairs Special Commission on World Heritage did not select the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group to be nominated from Japan this fiscal year.
August 24th, 2016
  • Taking the proposed result and issues raised by the Council in July, the Conference Headquarters revised the target year for inscription on the World Heritage List to 2019 (i.e., nomination from the Government of Japan in 2017).
March 2017
  • Draft nomination submitted to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
FY2017
July 31st, 2017
  • Selected as the site to be nominated next from Japan for the World Heritage List.
January 2018
  • The Government submitted the nomination of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group to the World Heritage Centre.
FY2018
September 2018
  • Received an on-site evaluation mission from ICOMOS.
FY2019
  • The World Heritage Committee makes the final decision as to whether to inscribe the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group on the World Heritage List.

Properties inscribed on Japan’s Tentative List

Nine sites are on the Tentative List in July 2017.
Name of the Property Date of Inscription Location (Prefectures)
Temples, Shrines and other structures of Ancient Kamakura 1993 Kanagawa
Hikone-Jo (castle) 1993 Shiga
Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological sites of Japan's Ancient Capitals and Related Properties 2008 Nara
Jomon Archaeological Sites in Hokkaido, Northern Tohoku, and other regions 2009 Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Akita
The Sado complex of heritage mines, primarily gold mines 2010 Niigata
Mozu-Furuichi Kofungun, Ancient Tumulus Clusters 2010 Osaka
Hiraizumi―Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land (extension) 2012 Iwate
Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, the northern part of Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island 2016 Okinawa, Kagoshima