Japan Heritage
Japan Heritage is a designation of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It recognizes stories that convey the culture and traditions of Japan through the historical attractions and unique features of certain local areas.
Japan Heritage recognition supports communities’ efforts to develop and use local cultural properties essential to local stories. A locale’s cultural heritage covers both tangible properties, such as structures or works of art, and intangible properties, including performing arts and craft techniques. These properties may be locally or nationally recognized, and they are integral to conveying the culture and traditions of an area.
In 2017, Iga City (Mie Prefecture) and Koka City (Shiga Prefecture) were jointly recognized as Japan Heritage Sites for their rich history of ninja culture and stories. Today, people around the world are fascinated by ninja, but the popular portrayal of ninja as black-clad assassins with near-superhuman abilities is inaccurate. Visitors to Koka can explore the history of ninja, including the sites of medieval castles and forts, the shrine where ninja gathered for tactical meetings, and facilities dedicated to preserving and passing on knowledge integral to the ninja story.