16-05-2025
Japan to list historic canal as national treasure
Japan's government is updating its list of national treasures. The new addition is a historic canal running from Lake Biwa to the city of Kyoto.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs made the announcement on Friday.
An expert panel singled out five facilities, including a brick aqueduct at Nanzenji Temple, three tunnels, and a railway for transporting boats up and down a slope.
They were constructed during the Meiji era in the late 19th century, when Japan adopted engineering and construction technologies from the West.
The experts say the facilities are profoundly significant because they became an essential part of Kyoto's landscape.
The agency also says a set of 24 structures along the canal will be designated as important cultural properties.
And so will "Tower of the Sun," a landmark in Osaka Prefecture designed by artist Okamoto Taro. The work served as the centerpiece of the 1970 World Expo.
The expert panel says the event has come to symbolize Japan's postwar economic boom.
