Overview
- UNESCO inscribed the serial property named the Palace Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, covering 19 archaeological monuments located mainly in Asuka, Kashihara and Sakurai in Nara Prefecture.
- Key elements of the site include the Asuka Palace ruins, the later Fujiwara palace remains, and the Takamatsuzuka mound known for its fragile, vividly colored frescoes.
- Japan’s Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the decision and pledged measures for protection, conservation, international cooperation and public promotion of the sites.
- UNESCO’s advisory body ICOMOS recommended inscription after an on‑site evaluation and urged continued research into preservation and possible restoration of murals removed from Takamatsuzuka and Kitora tombs.
- The listing will boost international attention and could draw more conservation funding and tourism to Nara, while presenting practical preservation challenges for local authorities and researchers.