Press Releases
The inscription of “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan” on UNESCO’s World Heritage List
(Decision at the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO)
(Statement by Foreign Minister Taro Kono)
July 6, 2019
- As Foreign Minister of Japan, I am very pleased that today on July 6th (same day local time) at the 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Baku, Azerbaijan, a decision was made to inscribe on the World Heritage List “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan”, which Japan had nominated as a candidate for the list.
- “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan” is an exceptional testimony to the Kofun period’s culture, in which the socio-political structure of the time was demonstrated by the shape and the size of kofun built as a collective entity. I heartily welcome the inscription of this property which is an outstanding example of kofun, a type of burial mound original to the Japanese archipelago. At the same time, I hope that the inscription this time will attract wider attention from people around the world on this valuable property which illustrates a unique historical culture of the archipelago.
- We will continue to promote dissemination of the appeal of Japan’s World Heritage sites including “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan” with initiatives that include overseas communication in cooperation with other relevant ministries and agencies.