A group of ancient burial mounds in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan is expected to be added to UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List.
On Monday, a UNESCO advisory body recommended that the mounds be listed.
The Mozu-Furuichi Tumulus Clusters consist of 49 mounds that were built between the latter part of the 4th century and the latter part of the 5th century. Among the mounds is a keyhole-shaped tomb, which is believed to have been built for an emperor. It is one of the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 486 meters in length.
A formal decision on the new listing is expected to be made during a world heritage committee meeting in Azerbaijan later this year.
Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs says it will work with local communities to protect the clusters from urbanization.
Japan now has 18 World Cultural Heritage properties and 4 World Natural Heritage properties.
NHK
