A government panel on Monday proposed that Fukui Cave, an archeological site in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, be designated as a special historic site.
The cave will likely become the country's 64th special historic site.
The cave shed light on changes in stone tools from the Upper Paleolithic period to the beginning of the ancient Jomon Period, as well as the emergence of pottery.
The site also showcases how the cave was formed in line with an environmental shift from a cold climate to a warmer one.
In its proposal submitted to culture minister Masahito Moriyama, the Cultural Affairs Council also recommended that two sites, including a garden in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, be included on the list of historic places.