World Natural Heritage
in Japan

The “World Heritage Convention,” adopted in 1972 by the UNESCO General Assembly, resulted in the “World Heritage” registration, values that should be shared not only with the present population, but also with the next generation.

World Heritage sites are roughly divided into “Cultural Heritage” and “Natural Heritage,” and a site must fulfill one of the criteria for “natural beauty,” “geography and geology,” “ecosystems,” and “biodiversity” in order to be registered as a natural heritage site.

World Natural Heritage sites are precious and fragile treasures, but is it enough just to look at and protect them from a distance? By doing so they may disappear from people’s memories.

Because they are precious and fragile treasures, it is important to pay attention to the environment while visiting, to experience the value of nature in person, and to convey that experience to people who follow. Now, let’s go on a journey to meet “World Natural Heritage Sites.”

The first two World Natural Heritage sites in Japan were registered in 1993. They were the remote “Yakushima” island in Kagoshima Prefecture and “Shirokami Sanchi,” a vast, primal beech forest that spans Aomori and Akita Prefectures. The Shiretoko peninsula, which protrudes into the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeastern part of Hokkaido, was registered in 2005, and the Ogasawara Islands, oceanic islands about 1,000 km away from central Tokyo, were registered in 2011. Most recently, the area consisting of Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island were registered in 2021, for a total of five World Natural Heritage sites in Japan. Japan’s natural heritage is a place where all of its rich and unique ecosystems are valued and you can feel the circle of life, including rare plants and animals.

It is necessary for a site to have a “notable universal value,” which is judged by whether the following three conditions are met, in order to be recognized as a World Natural Heritage site, as an important area with a unique and exclusive value in the world.

*The following is quoted from the “Japan World Natural Heritage Site” by the Ministry of the Environment

1. Do not approach or feed wildlife
Wild animals that remember the taste of human food can not only change their living places/living style and disrupt ecosystems, but can also cause crop damage in remote areas.

2. Stay on the promenades and mountain trails
Vegetation, once trampled, does not recover easily. We ask that you move, photograph, etc. only on established roads and trails so as to protect the moss, plants, and animals that create landscapes and ecosystems, and also to prevent destruction.
Some areas on mountain trails may be muddy, so equipment such as boots and outerwear are recommended.

3. Do not collect animals and plants
Natural Heritage sites are home to many unique flora and fauna, and each one carries the rich ecosystem of a Natural Heritage site and creates a beautiful landscape. The capture, collection, and damage of plants and animals is strictly prohibited.

4. Do not pollute the water of the mountains, rivers and ocean
Washing dishes or using water, other than in toilet areas, will contaminate the water of the mountains, rivers and ocean in the Natural Heritage site. When entering the Natural Heritage site, bring a portable toilet, wipe out dirty dishes with paper, and take all trash with you.

5. Take trash with you
From the beginning, reduce your amount of garbage as much as possible. Don’t forget trash bags, and be sure to take out all of the trash that you generated while within the Natural Heritage site.

6. Don’t introduce foreign species
Please take special care not to bring in any foreign species as it may affect the ecosystem of the Natural Heritage site.
In particular, the Ogasawara Islands, which boast an extremely high endemic species rate, are an ecosystem that is susceptible to external influences. Make sure that there is no dirt on your shoes that your clothes and bags are free of seeds and insects.