World Heritage listing recommended for islands in southern Japan Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. If you're not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site: https://www.enable-javascript.com/ Mayor Yasushi Chibana of Kunigami, Okinawa Prefecture, celebrates Monday as a UNESCO advisory panel recommends that the area and other islands in southwestern Japan be added to the list of natural World Heritage sites. | KYODO Kyodo May 11, 2021 A UNESCO advisory panel has recommended that a chain of islands in southwestern Japan with dense subtropical forests be added to the list of natural World Heritage sites, according to government officials.