Quakes could destroy Japan's history

Published: Feb. 20, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Order reprints
TOKYO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The Kiyomizu Temple, perched on a hillside above Kyoto, and many other historic buildings in Japan are vulnerable to earthquakes, the government says.

In a report to the Central Disaster Prevention Council, the Cabinet Office said that 113 designated national treasures are at risk, Kyodo News Service said. A total of 580 buildings classified as being important cultural properties are on or near major fault lines and likely to be damaged if a major quake hits.

The Todaiji Temple in Nara, the old capital of Japan, is also on the list. Many of the at risk buildings are in or near Kyoto.

The Kiyomizu Temple is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for its large veranda and the waterfall inside the complex. There has been a temple on the site for more than 1,000 years, although the present building dates from the 17th century.


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



Obama arrives in Ghana (40 min)
Croatia leads U.S. 2-0 at Davis Cup tennis
MLB: St. Louis 8, Chicago Cubs 3
Report: Bailout funds could help small biz
Werth named NL All-Star for Beltran
Home sales rise in Baltimore area
Lawsuit filed in cemetery desecration
fark
Photoshop these creepy earrings
Patronizing Tijuana hookers while on drugs may be unhealthy, according to Dr. N.S. Sherlock, of...
Defense lawyers request words like "polygamy,""cult" and "compound" not be used in their client's...
TSG Mugshot roundup: Twin billing
Barbie-Con visitors split on major issue: Are you allowed to open her box and play with it?
It's been 10 years since "The Blair Witch Project." Where were you when this crappy, one-joke, overhyped...