Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island

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UNESCO World Heritage Site

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 Chain of the Nansei Islands.[1] The site was selected in terms of biodiversity (World Heritage criterion x) for having a diverse ecosystem of plant and animal species that are unique to the region.[2]

History[edit]

First selected as a candidate site in 2003, the original nomination was added to the Tentative List in 2016; after initial IUCN evaluation, in 2018 the nomination was withdrawn for revision, prior to resubmission the following year; after further evaluation, in 2021 IUCN recommended inscription in July of the revised nomination.[3][4] UNESCO voted to list it as a World Heritage Site in 2021.[5][6]

Naming dispute[edit]

In the long history of the campaign for registration, this candidate site was renamed at least twice. When a panel of natural scientists formally added it to Japan’s tentative list of nomination, it was given the name of Ryūkyū Shotō.[7] This followed a convention of natural sciences but is inconsistent with the official definition provided by the Japanese government, which excludes the Amami Islands from the Ryūkyū Shotō. Moreover, the Amami Islands and Kagoshima Prefecture as a whole voiced a strong opposition to having the label Ryūkyū imposed on themselves.[8] As a result, the candidate site was renamed to Amami–Ryukyu.[9] In late 2015, UNESCO’s committee recommended Japan “from a technical perspective” to use an accurate designation of the areas under nomination. In response, the candidate site was renamed again to the current, highly descriptive name in 2016.[10]

Components[edit]

The serial World Heritage Site comprises five component parts on four islands:[11]

Biodiversity[edit]

Within the total area of 426.98 square kilometres (164.86 sq mi) are found some 1,819 vascular plants, 21 terrestrial mammals, 394 birds, 21 amphibians, 36 terrestrial reptiles, and 267 inland fish, including endemics such as the Amami rabbit, Okinawa rail, and Iriomote cat.[4] Of the above, 189 species of vascular plant are endemic (c.10% of the total number of species found), as are 13 terrestrial mammals (62%), 5 birds, 18 amphibians (86%), 23 reptiles (64%), and 14 inland fish.[13] Of the 6,153 insect species found, 1,607 are endemic.[13]

Endemic taxa[edit]

Endemic taxa include the following, with EDGE species marked with an asterisk (though an EDGE species, Iriomote’s Kampira Falls frog is not listed below, since it is found also in Taiwan):[13]

In addition to the above, Okinawan avian subspecies found in Yanbaru (the northern part of Okinawa) include those of the Ashy minivet, Brown-eared bulbul, brown boobook, Collared scops owl, Japanese bush warbler, Japanese paradise flycatcher, Japanese pygmy woodpecker, Japanese tit, Japanese white-eye, Large-billed crow, Narcissus flycatcher, Oriental turtle dove, Ruddy-breasted crake, Ruddy kingfisher, and Varied tit; similarly, but found in the Yaeyama Islands (which include Iriomote), are endemic subspecies of the Brown-eared bulbul, Emerald dove, Japanese pygmy woodpecker, Japanese tit, and Japanese wood pigeon.[13][14]

Protection[edit]

Areas of the Site and species living within are protected by a raft of complementary measures, including designation as National Parks (Amami Guntō National Park, Yanbaru National Park, Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park), Forest Biosphere Reserves (Amami Guntō Forest Biosphere Reserve, Yanbaru Forest Biosphere Reserve, Iriomote Forest Biosphere Reserve), Wildlife Protection Areas (Yuwan-dake Wildlife Protection Area, Yanbaru (Ada) Wildlife Protection Area, Yanbaru (Aha) Wildlife Protection Area, Iriomote Wildlife Protection Area, plus twenty-four Prefectural Wildlife Protection Areas), and Natural Monuments (thirty National, and a further twenty-two Prefectural Monuments).[15]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “Description of the Property”. Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  2. ^ “Four Japanese islands added to Unesco World Heritage list”. timeout.com. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. ^ “History of Effort Toward Inscription on the World Heritage List”. Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b IUCN (ed.). “IUCN World Heritage Evaluations 2020 and 2021 (WHC/21/44.COM/INF.8B2)” (PDF). UNESCO. pp. 3–13. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ^ “Four natural and three cultural sites added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List”. UNESCO. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  6. ^ “Southwest Japan islands added to UNESCO World Heritage list”. The Japan Times. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  7. ^ “Aratana sekai shizen isan kōhochi no kangaekata ni kakawaru kondankai matome” 新たな世界自然遺産候補地の考え方に係る懇談会 まとめ (PDF) (in Japanese). 21 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  8. ^ Mizutani Motoo 水谷知生 (2009). “Nansei Shotō no chiiki meishō no rekishiteki oyobi seijieki haikei” 南西諸島の地域名称の歴史的および政治的背景 [Historical and Political Background of Geographic Names in the Nansei Shoto Area]. Chirigku hyōron 地理学評論 [Geographical Review of Japan] (in Japanese). 82 (4): 300–322.
  9. ^ “Heisei 25 nendo dai 1 kai Amami Ryūkyū sekai shizen isan kōhochi kagaku iinnkai giji gaiyō (jogen yōsei jikō tō)” 平成25年度 第1回奄美・琉球世界自然遺産候補地科学委員会 議事概要 (助言・要請事項等) (PDF) (in Japanese). 27 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  10. ^ “Heisei 28 nendo dai 1 kai Amami Ōshima, Tokunoshima, Okinawa-jima hokubu oyobi Iriomote-jima sekai shizen isan kōhochi kagaku iinnkai giji gaiyō (jogen yōsei jikō tō)” 平成28年度第1回 奄美大島、徳之島、沖縄島北部及び西表島 世界自然遺産候補地科学委員会 議事概要 (助言・要請事項等) (PDF) (in Japanese). 2 November 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  11. ^ “Nomination of Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern Part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island for inscription on the World Heritage List” (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. p. iii. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  12. ^ “Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island : Multiple locations”. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d “Nomination of Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern Part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island for inscription on the World Heritage List” (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. p. xxvi–xxxiii, 44–89. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  14. ^ “Birds of Yambaru” (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. March 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  15. ^ “Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (Annexes)” (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. January 2019. pp. 2-29 ff. Retrieved 24 July 2021.

External links[edit]