Press Releases
The inscription of "Sado Island Gold Mines" on the World Heritage List (Statement by Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko)
July 27, 2024
- I am truly delighted that on July 27th, "Sado Island Gold Mines" nominated by Japan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List by consensus of all Member States of the World Heritage Committee at the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee.
- “Sado Island Gold Mines” has an extraordinary value as an exceptional cultural heritage embodying the final advanced stage of the gold production system using traditional unmechanized mining technology which continued until the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the mid-19th Century, during which mechanization became increasingly prevalent. I would like to wholeheartedly welcome the inscription of “Sado Island Gold Mines” as a World Heritage Site, and pay sincere tribute to the long- standing efforts of the local people which made this possible. I hope that this inscription will lead to an increase of visitors to Sado Island and that the value of “Sado Island Gold Mines” as a World Heritage site will become more widely known and appreciated globally.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to make efforts, in cooperation with other relevant ministries and agencies, to promote understanding of the value of Japan’s World Heritage sites in the world.