According to UNESCO’s advisory body, Japan’s Hikone Castle has potential to meet the criteria for World Heritage status

Hikone Castle in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, has the potential to meet the criteria of a World Heritage Site, according to a preliminary assessment by the International Council of Monuments and Site (ICOMOS), the Cultural Affairs Agency announced on Wednesday.

ICOMOS is an advisory organization of UNESCO.

Shiga Prefecture, among others, promotes the value of Hikone Castle in that it represents the daimyo, or feudal, system of government, in which local lords across the country supported the bakufu, or central government, in Edo (historical name for Tokyo). .

However, the council said the application to designate the castle as a World Heritage Site could be submitted together with other castles and that more detailed comparisons with the other castles should be made. The preliminary assessment system was introduced last year so that countries can get advice from ICOMOS before making official recommendations.

“We will continue with a goal to achieve [World Heritage] registration in 2027,” Shiga Governor Taizo Mikazuki said in a statement.

“We were finally able to stand at the starting line,” Hikone Mayor Hiroyuki Wada said at a news conference.