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Relevance to the Registration Standard

6 Criteria of World Cultural Heritage (Must have more than one criteria)

represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.
exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design.
bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization whether itis living or has disappeared.
be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.
be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.
be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria).

Relevant Registration Standard

Relevant Registration Standard	The contents
III. Being a unique testimony to a cultural tradition or to civilization bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization wheter it is living or disappeared.	Since green tea was introduced to Japan from China, Yamashiro area of the southern Kyoto made unique innovation in cultivating, production, and processing, and evolved green tea. Various types of production is done in this area such as “maccha”, “sencha”, and “gyokuro”, and you can see tea fields that reflect those cultivation method and processing method, villages that include facility optimal for tea production, and townscape of tea wholesalers that utilize the geographic advantage. This asset most clearly expresses “the tradition of green tea production and history of its innovation”, and is a unique and valuable heritage telling the history of tea production that have accomplished original development as green tea, and a variety of tea drinking culture tied to those production methods.
IV. Being a landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.	In Yamashiro area of southern Kyoto, production methods for “maccha” used in Chanoyu, “sencha” drank widely today, and “gyokuro” known as a high grade tea in the world was developed, and such techniques had spread all over Japan from this area and became the mainstream of the green tea production methods in modern Japan. Although this asset is relatively small scaled, it is a group of villages that include unique tea fields called Ohishita-chaen and Yamanari Kaikon and Roji-Chaen that are good for growing “maccha”, “sencha”, and “gyokuro,” including the facilities optimal for tea production, and it expresses “the types of a scene showing an important stage in the history of Japanese green tea production” best.
V. Being an outstanding example of land-use which is representative of a culture To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;	In Yamashiro area of southern Kyoto, history of the evolution of green tea production techniques of cultivation, production, and processing was repeated. As a result, tea production area spread into hills, slopes, and riverbed instead of just staying on flat ground. This asset clearly indicates “land-use that characterize Japanese tea production” that has been formed in response to historic development of innovation and the market expansion of the natural condition such as a climate and the topography, the geological feature and the tea production, including the tea field using various land, villages with facilities optimal for tea production, and the townscape of tea wholesalers that utilizes the geographic advantage of water transportation.
VI. be directly or tangibly associated with events, living traditions, ideas, or beliefs,, artistic works or literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria) To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)	“Chanoyu” started about 500 years ago and developed mainly in Kyoto. Today, it is internationally known as a traditional culture that represents Japan so it qualifies as “tradition, ideas, and artistic work of outstanding universal significance”. “Maccha” used in chanoyu was allowed to be produced only by Uji-chashi from the late 16th century to late 19th century. Sennorikyu, who completed Chanoyu chose “maccha” produced in Uji as the best. It supported “Chanoyu” and “Chanoyu” supported maccha produced in Uji so they were closely related during their development. Even today, most of “maccha” used in Chanoyu is produced in Yamashiro area of southern Kyoto. Also, Yamashiro area kept supporting “senchado” as a main production area for “sencha” and “gyokuro”. On the other hand, sencha transmitted “tea drinking culture that is rooted in people’s daily lives” of brewing tea in kyusu (tea pot). As a result, it became a “drink of daily living” that can be found at home or workplace anywhere in Japan. It greatly contributed to the formation of tea drinking culture subjecting all classes of citizens. Summary of Universal Value

The contents

III. Being a unique testimony to a cultural tradition or to civilization

bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization wheter it is living or disappeared.

Since green tea was introduced to Japan from China, Yamashiro area of the southern Kyoto made unique innovation in cultivating, production, and processing, and evolved green tea. Various types of production is done in this area such as “maccha”, “sencha”, and “gyokuro”, and you can see tea fields that reflect those cultivation method and processing method, villages that include facility optimal for tea production, and townscape of tea wholesalers that utilize the geographic advantage.

This asset most clearly expresses “the tradition of green tea production and history of its innovation”, and is a unique and valuable heritage telling the history of tea production that have accomplished original development as green tea, and a variety of tea drinking culture tied to those production methods.

IV. Being a landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history

be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.

In Yamashiro area of southern Kyoto, production methods for “maccha” used in Chanoyu, “sencha” drank widely today, and “gyokuro” known as a high grade tea in the world was developed, and such techniques had spread all over Japan from this area and became the mainstream of the green tea production methods in modern Japan.

Although this asset is relatively small scaled, it is a group of villages that include unique tea fields called Ohishita-chaen and Yamanari Kaikon and Roji-Chaen that are good for growing “maccha”, “sencha”, and “gyokuro,” including the facilities optimal for tea production, and it expresses “the types of a scene showing an important stage in the history of Japanese green tea production” best.

V. Being an outstanding example of land-use which is representative of a culture

To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

In Yamashiro area of southern Kyoto, history of the evolution of green tea production techniques of cultivation, production, and processing was repeated. As a result, tea production area spread into hills, slopes, and riverbed instead of just staying on flat ground.

This asset clearly indicates “land-use that characterize Japanese tea production” that has been formed in response to historic development of innovation and the market expansion of the natural condition such as a climate and the topography, the geological feature and the tea production, including the tea field using various land, villages with facilities optimal for tea production, and the townscape of tea wholesalers that utilizes the geographic advantage of water transportation.

VI. be directly or tangibly associated with events, living traditions, ideas, or beliefs,, artistic works or literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

“Chanoyu” started about 500 years ago and developed mainly in Kyoto. Today, it is internationally known as a traditional culture that represents Japan so it qualifies as “tradition, ideas, and artistic work of outstanding universal significance”. “Maccha” used in chanoyu was allowed to be produced only by Uji-chashi from the late 16th century to late 19th century. Sennorikyu, who completed Chanoyu chose “maccha” produced in Uji as the best. It supported “Chanoyu” and “Chanoyu” supported maccha produced in Uji so they were closely related during their development. Even today, most of “maccha” used in Chanoyu is produced in Yamashiro area of southern Kyoto.

Also, Yamashiro area kept supporting “senchado” as a main production area for “sencha” and “gyokuro”. On the other hand, sencha transmitted “tea drinking culture that is rooted in people’s daily lives” of brewing tea in kyusu (tea pot). As a result, it became a “drink of daily living” that can be found at home or workplace anywhere in Japan. It greatly contributed to the formation of tea drinking culture subjecting all classes of citizens.