Okinawa, Japan
Encompassing 42,698 hectares of subtropical rainforests on four islands on a chain located in the southwest of Japan, the serial site forms an arc on the boundary of the East China Sea and Philippine Sea whose highest point, Mount Yuwandake on Amami-Oshima Island, rises 694 metres above sea level. Entirely uninhabited by humans, the site has high biodiversity value with a very high percentage of endemic species, many of them globally threatened. The site is home to endemic plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, inland water fish and decapod crustaceans, including, for example, the endangered Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) and the endangered Ryukyu Long-haired Rat (Diplothrix legata) that represent ancient lineages and have no living relatives anywhere in the world. Five mammal species, three bird species, and three amphibian species in the property have been identified globally as Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. There are also a number of different endemic species confined to each respective island that are not found elsewhere in the property.
This is a broad multi-island natural heritage property without one unified gate or daily hours. Visiting patterns are site-specific and generally daylight-oriented.
Free
Booking recommended
Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (奄美大島、徳之島、沖縄島北部及び西表島) is a serial UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of five component parts on four Japanese islands in the Ryukyu Arc. The site was selected in terms of biodiversity for having a diverse ecosystem of plant and animal species that are unique to the region.
Read more on Wikipedia →Summary excerpted from the Wikipedia article Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text may be clipped or paraphrased to fit this page.