Hikone Castle Picked as Japan's World Heritage Candidate

Tokyo, Sept. 3 (Jiji Press)--The Council for Cultural Affairs, which advises Japan's culture minister, on Thursday selected Hikone Castle, located in the western prefecture of Shiga, as the country's fiscal 2026 candidate for registration as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A nomination for the castle in the city of Hikone will be submitted to UNESCO by February 2028 after necessary domestic procedures such as discussions at meetings among related government agencies and ministries, and cabinet approval.

Japan aims to achieve the castle's inscription on the World Heritage list in 2028.

Construction of the castle began in 1604 under the direction of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was completed some 20 years later.

Its castle tower and other facilities are designated as national treasures. Hikone Castle was added in 1992 to Japan's tentative list of candidate sites for future World Heritage registration.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]