A special committee of Japan’s Council for Cultural Affairs has selected the Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki as a candidate for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Each country can make only one recommendation, and the committee is also deliberating the candidacy of the Sites of Japan Meiji Industrial Revolution (Kyushu, Yamaguchi and Related Area), which includes sites in eight prefectures. The Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki consist of 13 assets spread across eight cities and towns in Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures including Oura Church, a designated national treasure in Nagasaki City. The Council explained it reason for selecting the site by stating, “The site was rated highly since all of its assets reveal the history of Christianity from its transmission to Japan, its prohibition and its revival after the end of the Edo Period.” In order for the site to be registered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in the summer of 2015, the Government of Japan must send a letter recommending its inclusion in the interim list by the end of September and submit an official application by Feb. 1. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Aug. 24
Oura Church
