is a collective term used by the
Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to denote
Cultural Properties of Japan as historic locations such as
shell mounds,
ancient tombs, sites of palaces, sites of
forts or castles, monumental dwelling houses and other sites of high historical or scientific value; gardens, bridges, gorges, mountains, and other places of great scenic beauty; and natural features such as animals, plants, and geological or mineral formations of high scientific value.