The highest mountain in Japan – Mount Fuji, might soon get the status of a World Heritage site. The status has been recommended by an important panel of UNESCO, after which the popular peak will be on a direct path to the registration.
The formal listing is expected to be done in the month of June 2013, when the World Heritage Committee meets in Columbia. However, the International Council on Monuments and Sites rejected the request of the Japanese to add a group of cultural assets in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture to the list of World Heritage sites.
The Cultural Affairs Agency said in its request for registration, that Mt Fuji covers about 70,000 hectares in Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefecture, which also includes five main lakes and the Shiraito falls. An official from Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture at the foot of the mountain said, “We are delighted to hear the news. Once Mount Fuji is registered as a World Heritage site, we hope it will be known to more people”.
The recommendation of the registration was also welcomed by Shomei Yokuochi, the Yamanashi Governor. The agency, in its filing with the UNESCO, said that it is seen as a symbol of nature worship in the country and has been depicted in ukiyo-e woodblock prints.
