UNESCO unlikely to register Iwami silver mine as World Heritage site

Article title: UNESCO unlikely to register Iwami silver mine as World Heritage site
Source:
Journal:The Japan Times Article
Published: Monday, May 14, 2007
Downloaded from: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070514a4.html
on May 14, 2007 at 12:10

According to the Cultural Affairs Agency, UNESCO is unlikely to accept the recommendation of registering the remains of the Iwami silver mine in Shimane on the World Heritage cultural site list. " there is not enough to demonstrate the universal value of the remains", the Cultural Affairs Agency said on Saturday at The International Council on Monuments and Sites.

The detail of the recommendation was to register the 442-hectare remains, which includes the mine site, town, streets and the port used to ship the silver, dating back to the 16th to 19th centuries.

The goverment have to make documents again with additional information on their universal value to continue to seek registration, if UNESCO formally decides not to register the remains on the World Heritage list this year.

Private prison opens in Yamaguchi

Article title: Private prison opens in Yamaguchi
Source:
Journal:The Japan times Online Aticles
Published:Monday, May 14, 2007
Downloaded from:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070514a3.html
on May 14, 2007 at 11:05 am.

In Mine, one prison named "The Mine Shakai Fukki Sokushin Center (Mine Social Return Promotion Center)" has opend. The remarkable point is that the prison is operated by the private sector, and it means it is the first one which is operated by none-govermental organizations.

This prison doesn't have any inmates yet, but it will be used soon for prisoners serving for their first criminal offense. It has the capacity to hold 500 men and 500 women, and the company which operates this prison is going to do job training for inmates, offer training in basic computer skills and enable them to get a hospital clerical worker certificate.

The government has consigned most of the prison's operation, such as security, job training and cleaning. The 51.7 billion yen contract runs for 20 years.