Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island
A serial UNESCO site of unique biodiversity in the Ryukyu Arc.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, the northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island is a serial UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of five distinct areas across four islands in the Ryukyu Arc (Nansei Islands). It earned this status under World Heritage criterion x for its biodiversity, hosting a rich variety of plant and animal life found nowhere else.
The site’s path to inscription was lengthy. First proposed as a candidate in 2003, it was added to Japan’s Tentative List in 2016. After an initial review by the IUCN, the nomination was withdrawn in 2018 for revisions, then resubmitted the following year. Following further evaluation, the IUCN recommended inscription in July 2021, and UNESCO approved it that same year.
The site’s name changed at least twice during the campaign. Initially, a panel of natural scientists called it Ryūkyū Shotō, following scientific convention. However, this conflicted with the Japanese government’s official definition, which excludes the Amami Islands from the Ryūkyū Shotō. Strong opposition from the Amami Islands and Kagoshima Prefecture led to a rename to Amami–Ryukyu. In late 2015, UNESCO advised Japan to use a more precise geographic designation, prompting the final, descriptive name adopted in 2016.
Covering 426.98 square kilometers, the site is home to roughly 1,819 vascular plants, 21 terrestrial mammals, 394 birds, 21 amphibians, 36 terrestrial reptiles, and 267 inland fish. Among these are iconic endemics like the Amami rabbit, Okinawa rail, and Iriomote cat. Endemism rates are high: 189 vascular plant species (about 10% of the total), 13 terrestrial mammals (62%), 5 birds, 18 amphibians (86%), 23 reptiles (64%), and 14 inland fish. Of the 6,153 insect species recorded, 1,607 are endemic.
Notable endemic taxa include several EDGE species (marked with an asterisk), though the Kampira Falls frog from Iriomote, an EDGE species, is excluded here because it also occurs in Taiwan. In Yanbaru (northern Okinawa), endemic avian subspecies 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. The Yaeyama Islands (including Iriomote) host endemic su
- designation
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
- inscription_year
- 2021
- total_area
- 426.98 square kilometres (164.86 sq mi)
- component_parts
- 5
- islands
- 4
- criterion
- x (biodiversity)
- endemic_mammals
- 13 terrestrial mammals (62%)
Lore & Background
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. UNESCO voted to list it as a World Heritage Site in 2021.
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. 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. As a result, the candidate site was renamed to Amami–Ryukyu. 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.
Reader's Guide
The site's significance lies in its exceptional biodiversity, recognized under World Heritage criterion x. Within its 426.98 square kilometres 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. Of these, 189 species of vascular plant are endemic (c.10% of the total), as are 13 terrestrial mammals (62%), 5 birds, 18 amphibians (86%), 23 reptiles (64%), and 14 inland fish. Of the 6,153 insect species found, 1,607 are endemic. The site is 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, Wildlife Protection Areas, and Natural Monuments. The naming dispute reflects tensions between scientific conventions and regional identity, with the Amami Islands and Kagoshima Prefecture opposing the label Ryūkyū.
Did You Know?
- The site was renamed at least twice during its nomination process, from Ryūkyū Shotō to Amami–Ryukyu, then to its current descriptive name in 2016.
- Of the 21 terrestrial mammals found in the site, 13 (62%) are endemic.
- The site includes five component parts on four islands: Amami-Ōshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawa, and Iriomote.
- UNESCO voted to list it as a World Heritage Site in 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island?
It is a serial UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of five protected areas spread across four islands in Japan's Ryukyu Arc. The designation was awarded under criterion x, recognizing the site's outstanding biodiversity.
When was the Amami–Tokunoshima–Okinawa–Iriomote site officially inscribed?
The site received its World Heritage inscription in 2021. That followed a long road that started with an initial candidate proposal in 2003 and a spot on Japan's Tentative List from 2016 onward.
Why did it take almost twenty years to get World Heritage status?
An early IUCN review flagged issues, prompting Japan to withdraw the nomination in 2018 so the documentation could be overhauled. The revised file then had to clear the full evaluation cycle before the 2021 approval.
How big is the site and how many parts does it include?
The protected area totals 426.98 square kilometres (roughly 164.86 square miles) split into five distinct component parts. Those parts sit on four islands: Amami-Ōshima, Tokunoshima, the northern portion of Okinawa, and Iriomote.
What makes the wildlife here special enough for UNESCO criterion x?
The islands shelter a dense assemblage of endemic plants and animals that occur nowhere else in the world. That extraordinary concentration of unique species across the Ryukyu Arc is the core reason the site qualified under the biodiversity criterion.
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