Asuka and Fujiwara gain UNESCO status as Japan’s 27th World Heritage Site - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

The Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara in Nara Prefecture were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on July 26, 2026, becoming Japan’s 27th World Heritage Site. The designation covers a broad cultural landscape stretching across Asuka Village, Kashihara City and Sakurai City, where palace ruins, temples and burial mounds preserve traces of Japan’s political and religious development in the 6th and 7th centuries.

The inscription is also expected to give fresh momentum to tourism in the southern part of Nara. Kintetsu Railway, one of the region’s main transport providers, has responded with a specially designed commemorative train, the Asuka-Fujiwara Shijin Liner, which entered service on August 1.

A landscape at the roots of the Japanese state

The World Heritage area includes the Asuka Palace Site, Fujiwara Palace Site, Asuka-dera Temple Site, Ishibutai Tumulus and Tachibana-dera Temple Site, among other locations.

During the Asuka period, the region became the political centre of Japan and played a key role in the emergence of a more centralised state under the emperor. Reforms associated with Prince Shotoku and the later Taika Reform helped reshape the country’s political structures before the capitals of Heijo-kyo and Heian-kyo were established.

For this reason, Asuka is often described as one of the places where the foundations of the Japanese state took shape.

Tumuli and temples preserve the region’s early history

Several of the area’s most striking monuments are ancient burial mounds. The Ishibutai Tumulus contains a stone chamber assembled from more than 30 massive stones, with the total weight of the structure exceeding 1,000 tonnes. Visitors are able to enter the chamber.

The Kitora and Takamatsuzuka tumuli are particularly known for their mural paintings. Their depictions have provided archaeologists with valuable evidence about beliefs, court culture and artistic traditions of the period, although many questions about the tombs and their occupants remain unresolved.

The religious heritage is equally significant. Asuka-dera Temple houses the Great Buddha of Asuka, regarded as Japan’s oldest surviving gilt-bronze Buddha statue. Okadera Temple is home to a 4.85-metre Nyoirin Kannon, described as the largest surviving clay statue in Japan.

Kintetsu launches commemorative train

To mark the UNESCO inscription, Kintetsu Railway has introduced the Asuka-Fujiwara Shijin Liner.

The design is inspired by the Four Symbols associated with the cardinal directions: Seiryu in the east, Byakko in the west, Suzaku in the south and Genbu in the north. These figures also appear in the murals of the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora tumuli.

The train’s interior and exterior also incorporate motifs linked to the historic sites and surrounding countryside. Kintetsu says the service is intended to connect the World Heritage designation with the travel experience itself.

Rail links connect Asuka with Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya

Kintetsu operates extensive services across the Kansai and Chubu regions and provides access to Asuka from major cities including Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya.

For international visitors, the company also offers the KINTETSU RAIL PASS, which can be used to combine Asuka and Fujiwara with other destinations along the network. Kintetsu routes also serve additional World Heritage sites, making rail travel a practical option for multi-stop cultural itineraries.

The company is positioning rail as an alternative to road transport as visitor numbers rise, particularly during busy periods when congestion can affect access to the area.

Heritage tourism extends beyond the archaeological sites

The World Heritage designation is likely to draw attention not only to the major ruins, but also to the wider visitor experience in Asuka.

Travellers can rent ancient-style costumes near Kintetsu Asuka Station, visit restaurants and cafés in renovated traditional houses and sample regional food. The area is also known for the Asuka Ruby strawberry, with seasonal fruit-picking experiences forming part of the local tourism offer.

The UNESCO inscription therefore brings together archaeology, early Japanese state history and contemporary tourism. For Nara, it adds another internationally recognised cultural attraction to a region already closely associated with the historical development of Japan.

Image Credit: © Kintetsu Railway Co.,Ltd.