Mine-Akiyoshidai, a karst plateau in western Japan, has been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The designation, decided by the executive board of the specialized U.N. agency, was announced by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on Thursday. UNESCO's Global Geopark program is aimed at protecting and utilizing areas with outstanding geological and topographical features of international significance. Mine-Akiyoshidai, in the city of Mine in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is the 11th UNESCO Global Geopark in Japan. It follows the 2023 designation of the Hakusan Tedorigawa area in the city of Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, as the nation's 10th UNESCO Global Geopark. Mine-Akiyoshidai covers the whole of Mine, featuring the Akiyoshidai plateau, made of dissolved limestone, and Akiyoshido, one of the largest limestone caves in the country. It also includes the site of a copper mine dating back to the Nara period in the eighth century.…