TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government recommended on Tuesday ancient capitals located in current-day Nara Prefecture, western Japan, as candidates for UNESCO's World Heritage list to be inscribed in 2026.

The government is seeking the recognition of 19 assets, including ruins of imperial palaces and burial mounds, from the period between the late 6th century and early 8th century.

The "Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara" site is a testament to "how the centralized administrative framework was formed during East Asia's ancient state establishment period," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Keiichiro Tachibana said in a press conference Tuesday.

A U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization advisory panel is expected to conduct an on-site survey around this fall, and a session of the World Heritage Committee, to be convened in the summer of 2026, will discuss whether to approve the listing.