After our 3,776-meter-tall friend Fuji-san won the coveted UNESCO World Heritage status this year, many people are wondering what site will win the status next? Only one Japanese site per year can be nominated for the award, and recent reports have said the government is considering a steel works, a dockyard and a coal mine for nominations in 2015, as these facilities represent Japan's industrial revolution in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Hmmm, I wonder, though: Aren't cows more interesting?
Surely I'm not the only one who looks at a lone cow standing in a lush green field and thinks, "Now that's perfection. That cow deserves World Heritage status!" If you think I am, you might be surprised to hear that the cow has been awarded "Agricultural World Heritage" status, by UNESCO Japan. The cow is the first animal to receive the honor since this new World Heritage category was created last week.
Following are some questions and answers about the new Agricultural World Heritage status category:
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