Japan Heritage connects Japan's rich cultural properties through stories backed by history and traditions. This system, launched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2015, is bearing fruit in the form of regional revitalization and tourism promotion. The Japan Heritage Promotion Association (General Incorporated Association) is dedicating its efforts to fostering storytellers and popularizing the system by conducting the Japan Heritage Certification. This time, we interviewed Mr. Naoji Kuroda, the Representative Director, about the significance of Japan Heritage, the benefits of certification, and the role of the Minato City Tourism Association, which serves as an official partner of Japan Heritage.

――First, please tell us about your connection with Japan Heritage. How did you come to be involved in activities to promote it?


I serve as an advisor for the Theme Travel Department at the travel agency Club Tourism, and I have been involved in planning numerous themed tours both domestically and internationally. My initial opportunity to get involved with Japan Heritage came about as part of this work, when I helped a colleague who was seconded to the World Heritage Academy, which conducts educational activities for World Heritage. Initially, I helped with the World Heritage Certification and planned and wrote about tours visiting World Heritage sites. However, as I continued giving lectures and organizing tours, I gradually began to feel the challenges of World Heritage. World Heritage is certified by UNESCO, which inevitably requires international coordination. For example, even if something is an important culture for Japanese people, such as Japan's ancient whaling culture, there was a reality that it is difficult to be evaluated within the World Heritage framework. Around that time, a new system called Japan Heritage was launched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Japan Heritage is a mechanism that combines tangible and intangible cultural properties, certifies them as a single story, and connects this to regional revitalization and local creation. The destinations of the history tours we were planning happened to overlap with the certified areas, so a representative from the Agency for Cultural Affairs asked me, 'Could you plan tours to Japan Heritage certified areas?' Since then, the Theme Travel Department I belong to has actively planned Japan Heritage tours and started to share its appeal through lectures and other means. This was the beginning of my long relationship with Japan Heritage.

――So the timing was just right. Could you explain again what kind of system Japan Heritage is?


"Simply put, it is a system that not only protects individual cultural properties but certifies the entire story they tell. Traditional cultural administration focused primarily on preserving national treasures and important cultural properties. However, Japan Heritage aims to utilize them as tourism resources and connect them to regional revitalization. There are broadly two types of Japan Heritage. One is the regional type. This is a story that is completed within a single municipality. The other is the serial type (network type). This is a story connected by a common theme across multiple municipalities. As of 2026, 104 stories have been certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. By presenting them as stories in this way, even those who are not familiar with history can deeply understand the region, such as 'Why is this temple in this location?' or 'Why does this festival continue?' It can be said that it is a system where points become lines, and lines become planes, bringing the region's identity into sharp relief."

――The Japan Heritage Promotion Association is the organization dedicated to popularizing Japan Heritage. Please tell us about the process leading up to its establishment.


"Originally, people interested in Japan Heritage came to take the courses I was holding at Club Tourism. Driven by a desire to learn more about Japan Heritage, a study group was launched in 2021. From among its volunteers, voices arose saying, 'Let's conduct a full-scale certification exam to spread Japan Heritage,' and in January 2023, it was incorporated as a general incorporated association, becoming the Japan Heritage Promotion Association."

――What exactly is the Japan Heritage Certification conducted by the Japan Heritage Promotion Association?


"The Japan Heritage Certification is not an exam designed to fail candidates. We want it to be an entry point for more people to learn about Japan Heritage. Currently, we offer Levels 3, 2, and 1. Level 3, which can be called the foundation, is designed for people to gain broad, basic knowledge of the key points of the 104 stories, and is conducted online. Successful candidates are awarded the title of 'Japan Heritage Sommelier.' We have created a system where passing is not the end; even after passing, they can participate in training sessions and lectures by curators for free."

――Is the progression such that those who pass Level 3 can then take the Level 2 and Level 1 exams?


"Yes, that's right. The difficulty increases slightly for Level 2. Then, once a certain number of people had passed Level 2, we held the exam for Level 1, the highest tier. We have set a very high standard for Level 1, requiring deep historical knowledge of the background behind the stories. The first exam was an extremely narrow gateway, with only four successful candidates. In response to this, we launched the 'Japan Heritage Professional Course (Eye-Opening Japan Heritage)' this January for those aiming for Level 1 or striving to become professional guides. It is an online course where I explain all 104 stories one by one, and archives are also available for viewing. If you master this, the content is comprehensive enough to make you an immediate asset as a Japan Heritage guide."

――The ""Japan Heritage Professional Course"" is truly unique to you, Mr. Kuroda, as someone who knows Japan Heritage inside out. I heard that you are actually a ""descendant of a ninja."" Does that background influence your perspective when interpreting Japan Heritage?


"Yes. I am originally from Iga Ueno in Mie Prefecture, and I was born across the street from the birthplace of the great haiku poet, Matsuo Basho. Furthermore, tracing back my ancestors, they were headmen of the Todai-ji Temple manor, and I carry the blood of the 'Kuroda Akuto' (villains of Kuroda) who were involved in the origin of Iga-ryu ninja. I didn't know this until my grandfather passed away, but my experience being raised in a solitary house in the mountains and the ideologies instilled in me were exactly those of a 'shinobi' (ninja). Ninjas have a concept called 'Goton no Jutsu' (the five escape arts) based on the Five Elements. Generally, there's an image of disappearing in a smokescreen, but the essence is different. For example, 'Suiton' (water escape) is geopolitics involving a thorough investigation of water sources and currents, and 'Mokuton' (wood escape) is about understanding plant ecosystems to gain knowledge of medicinal herbs and gunpowder. 'Doton' (earth escape) is about being intimately familiar with the shape of the land. In other words, the essence of a shinobi's work lies in 'collecting and utilizing information.'

――So your way of capturing information is different from ordinary people.


"That's right. Ninjas value primary information above all else. Many people today travel relying solely on secondary or tertiary information found in guidebooks and on the internet. However, a true shinobi goes to the site on their own two feet, climbs to high places to observe the terrain, talks with local elders, and considers the origins left in place names. They accumulate living information, such as, 'This place is called Kutsukake because it was where people used to change their straw sandals in the past.' By doing so, the hidden history and the true story of the land, rather than superficial sightseeing, become visible. I have continued this method since my teens, so when I talk about the stories of Japan Heritage, I believe I can discuss deeper layers that are not just by the book. Kaoru Kanetaka, the former president of the Japan Travel Writers' Organization, once advised me, 'Since you are from Iga, if you are going to write travel articles, you should act as the Matsuo Basho of the Heisei era.' Since then, I have continued to share the essence of travel under the pen name 'Heisei Basho.'"

――Can the stories certified as Japan Heritage be further deeply explored or developed?


"Of course. In fact, I believe the true thrill lies in how you can add your own unique perspective based on the certified stories. For example, there is a Japan Heritage in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture called 'Oyama-mairi.' The official story primarily centers on the 'Oyama-ko' (pilgrimage associations) of the Edo period, but from the perspective of someone from the Kansai region, Mt. Oyama has a strong image as a place founded by Roben, the first head priest of Todai-ji Temple. Furthermore, history buffs might be drawn to the history of the warrior monks who supported the Hojo clan. By capturing the story in a multi-layered way and tailoring it to your audience—whether you say, 'It's a place associated with Roben from the Nara period,' or 'It was a strategic base during the Sengoku period'—Japan Heritage becomes much more interesting. The story of Masuda City in Shimane Prefecture also has a central theme of Sesshu, who was invited by the Masuda clan in the Middle Ages, but it is also a place associated with Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, a poet who was active from the Asuka period to the early Nara period and left many poems in the Manyoshu. Introducing it as 'The city loved by two saints: Sesshu, the saint of painting, and Hitomaro, the saint of poetry' might resonate with more people. Rethinking stories within the continuity of history in this way further enhances the value of Japan Heritage."

――That is very interesting. So, what specific benefits are there when a region's story is certified as Japan Heritage?


"Economic tourism promotion is a given, but I believe the greatest benefits are the restoration of pride (pride in the region) and the deepening of community bonds. As a successful example, there is the case of my hometown, Iga City, and the neighboring Koka City in Shiga Prefecture. By being certified as a serial-type Japan Heritage titled 'The Village of Shinobi, Iga and Koka: In Search of Real Ninjas,' exchanges transcending administrative boundaries were born between the two cities. Having a common goal to 'correctly convey the true figure of ninjas' led local residents to take pride in their town's history. The region began to make major moves triggered by the certification, such as promoting February 22nd as Ninja Day (Nin-Nin-Nin) and broadcasting the image of real ninjas nationwide through media coverage."

――So it served as a major catalyst. However, I heard that Japan Heritage requires continued effort even after certification.


"That is the big difference from World Heritage. Once certified, World Heritage status is not revoked unless something extraordinary happens, but Japan Heritage certification can be revoked if it is judged that there is insufficient effort put into 'utilization and revitalization.' In fact, there have been such cases in the past. That is exactly why regions must constantly refine their stories and continue to broadcast them. It has a strict aspect, but I believe that acts as an engine generating regional vitality."

――The Minato City Tourism Association operates as an official partner of Japan Heritage. Mr. Kuroda, what expectations do you have for Minato City?


"Minato City is truly the 'gateway to the city center.' The faith of Zojo-ji Temple continuing since the Edo period, Shiba Daijingu Shrine, and Odaiba and Takanawa, which served as the stage for the opening of the country in modern times. There is no other area where such multi-layered history is so concentrated. Currently, Hachioji City is the only place in Tokyo certified as Japan Heritage. To be honest, I feel it is a great waste that the flag of Japan Heritage is not flying in the center of Tokyo where the most tourists gather, or in the downtown areas of Kyoto, or around Todai-ji Temple in Nara. If the Japan Heritage flag were raised in Minato City, the gateway visited by people from all over the world, the promotional effect would be immeasurable."

――What is the role that the Minato City Tourism Association should tackle?


"Instead of making certification the goal, the first step is to freely adopt the know-how of Japan Heritage. I have high expectations for activities that convey 'what wonderful stories our town holds' not only to the government and tourism stakeholders but also to the residents. For instance, Minato City possesses a powerful story in 'Tokugawa's Peace.' Not only Zojo-ji Temple and the Shiba area, but also the vicinity of Takanawa Gateway once played a vital role in maintaining peace as the entrance to Edo. Even Odaiba can be talked about not just as a leisure spot, but with the story of 'a place built to protect the country, but which safeguarded peace without ever exchanging fire.' Rather than simply introducing tourist spots as isolated points, we need to weave a narrative that runs through these locations and convey it to residents and business operators. By doing so, Minato City should evolve from a 'place to pass through' into a 'place whose stories are handed down.'"

――Finally, please give a message to the readers reading this article.


"Japan Heritage is by no means a distant concept. There are bound to be wonderful stories sleeping right near your hometown or where you live now. Don't just look at the Agency for Cultural Affairs' portal site; please actually go there. And try talking to the local people. I want you to mix the realizations you gain through your experiences—what you see with your own eyes, hear with your ears, and feel on your skin—into existing stories. Rather than memorizing it as knowledge, speak about it by infusing it with your own feelings. By doing so, Japan Heritage becomes a living story for the first time. Please increase the number of Japan Heritage sites you can talk about in your own words, such as, 'My town has such a wonderful Japan Heritage.' That will become the greatest power to protect traditional Japanese culture and pass it on to the future."

《Japan Heritage Promotion Association》
https://jhda.or.jp/