is a

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Established in 2017, the park comprises a land area of and a sea area of . The national park includes areas of these islands:

Tokunoshima , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative t ...

, Kikai,

Amami The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...

, Yoron,

Okinoerabujima , also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, 93.63 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided in ...

Uke Island Uke Island, or , is one of the Satsunan Islands of Japan, classed within the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa.''Teikoku's Complete Atlas of Japan'', Teikoku-Shoin Co., Ltd., Tokyo, The island, 13.34 km² in area, has a popul ...

Kakeromajima or Kakeroma-tō is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 1,600 persons. Administratively it is part of the town of Setouchi in Kag ...

and

Yoroshima is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa.''Teikoku's Complete Atlas of Japan'', Teikoku-Shoin Co., Ltd., Tokyo, , The island, 9.35 km² in area, has a population of approximately 14 ...

History

On 15 February 1974 the Amami Guntō Quasi-National Park was founded on

Amami Ōshima , also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami Islands, Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands, all of which belong to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 712.35 ...

. On 7 March 2017 the Amami Guntō National Park was established and it subsumed the former Amami Guntō Quasi-National Park. The Amami Guntō National Park includes parts of the

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of Amagi,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Isen Isen may refer to: *Isen, Bavaria, a town in Germany *Isen, Kagoshima, a town in Japan * Isen (river) in Bavaria, Germany *The fictitious River Isen in Tolkien's literature * ISEN, a group of three French higher education establishments *Nissae Is ...

, Kikai, Setouchi, Tatsugō,

, Uken, Wadomari,

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...

, and Yoron. The designation of the new National Park, alongside that of

Yanbaru National Park is a national park in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Established in 2016, it is located in and around the forested region of Yambaru at the northern end of Okinawa Island. The park comprises a land area of in the villages of Kunigami, Ōgimi, and ...

, is part of the movement to have Amami-Oshima Island,

Tokunoshima Island , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative t ...

, the northern part of Okinawa Island and

Iriomote Island is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. The island has an area of and a 2005 population of 2,347. The island does not have an airstrip, and most visitors—ove ...

inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

. The Amami Wildlife Center is managed by Japan's Ministry of the Environment to protect and preserve the natural ecosystem of the

Amami Islands The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is a Japanese archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is sout ...

Geography

Total designated area is (land: 42,181 ha, water: 33,082 ha). It is a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

candidate. The national park consists of areas from these islands:

, Kikai,

, Yoron,

and

Flora and fauna

This national park features

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

forests and

tidal flats Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...

. A unique ecosystem has developed with

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

species such as the

Amami rabbit The Amami rabbit (''Pentalagus furnessi''), also known as the Ryukyu rabbit, is a dark-furred species of rabbit which is found only on Amami Ōshima and Tokunoshima, two small islands between southern Kyūshū and Okinawa in Japan. Often calle ...

Ryukyu spiny rat The Ryukyu spiny rat (''Tokudaia osimensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Endemic to Amami Ōshima island in the Amami Islands of the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu archipelago of Japan, its natural habitat is subtropical moist broadle ...

, birds: Amami's jay,

Ryukyu robin The Ryukyu robin (''Larvivora komadori'') is a bird endemic to the Ryūkyū Islands, of Japan. The Okinawa robin (''Larvivora namiyei'') previously was considered a subspecies. The specific name ''komadori'' is, somewhat confusingly, the comm ...

. There are also snakes such as

Habu is a Ryukyuan name referring to certain venomous snakes: * The following species are found in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan: ** ''Protobothrops elegans'', a.k.a. the Sakishima habu, found in the southern Ryukyu Islands ** ''Protobothrops flavoviri ...

and amphibians such as:

Ishikawa's frog Ishikawa's frog (''Odorrana ishikawae'') is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Okinawa Island, one of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. It has been described as the most beautiful frog in Japan. Its natural habitats are temper ...

, Japanese warty newt and the Ryūkyū scops owl.

Amami Ōshima , also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami Islands, Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands, all of which belong to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 712.35 ...
,
Kakeromajima or Kakeroma-tō is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 1,600 persons. Administratively it is part of the town of Setouchi in Kag ...

Yuwandake is covered with subtropical hardwood forests such as ''

Castanopsis sieboldii ''Castanopsis sieboldii'', also known as the Itajii chinkapin or Itajii, is a species of evergreen tree that lives in subtropical eastern Asia. This is a climax species that is commonly found in the Japanese temperate rainforest. Specimens are al ...

'' and ''

Neolitsea aciculata ''Neolitsea aciculata'' is a species of small evergreen tree (trunk up to ) in the family Lauraceae. It is found in Japan and Taiwan. In Taiwan, it grows often in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests in valleys throughout the island. File: ...

'' and it has valuable vegetation. There are coral reefs, mangrove forests at the mouth of the Katsushi River and underwater scenery.

Kikaijima is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami Islands, Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa Island, Okinawa. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 7,657 people. Administratively the island forms the town of ...

Noticeable coastal terraces are distributed on the islands. Hyakunodai Park is a plateau where coral reefs have developed.

Tokunoshima , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative t ...

This is a limestone island with a

Karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

topography. There is a natural

Sea cave A sea cave, is also known as a littoral cave, a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea. The primary process involved is erosion. Sea caves are found throughout the world, actively forming along present coastlines and as re ...

created by erosion. Mt. Inokawa is known as a treasure of endemic plants including ferns.

Okinoerabujima , also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, 93.63 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided in ...

There are large-scale caves such as the Shoryu Cavern and a water tunnel. Sea cliffs developed in the area of Minamata and Kunigamizaki.

Yoronjima , also known as Yoron, is one of the Amami Islands. The island, 20.8 km2 (8 sq. mi.) in area, has a population of approximately 6,000 people, and is administered as the town of Yoron, Kagoshima. Much of the island is within the borders of t ...

The entire coast is designated as part of the national park except for the area around Yoron Airport.

Coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

s surround the island.

Gallery

File:View_of_Katetsu_cove_from_nearby_Manen-zaki.jpg, View of Katetsu Bay from nearby Manenzaki lookout point in

. File:Amami_beach.jpg, Coastal area of

File:Kinsakubaru_wildwood.jpg, Kinsakubaru wildwood in

File:Mushiroze.JPG, View from

File:Yakomo_beach.jpg, A beach on

References

External links

*
Amamigunto National Park
- National Parks of Japan *
Amamigunto National Park
- National Parks of Japan *
Map of Amami Guntō National Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amami Gunto National Park National parks of Japan Parks and gardens in Kagoshima Prefecture Protected areas established in 2017 2017 establishments in Japan

History

Geography

Flora and fauna

Kikaijima is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami Islands, Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa Island, Okinawa. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 7,657 people. Administratively the island forms the town of ...

Tokunoshima , also known in English as is an island in the Amami archipelago of the southern Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, in area, has a population of approximately 27,000. The island is divided into three administrative t ...

Okinoerabujima , also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, 93.63 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided in ...

Yoronjima , also known as Yoron, is one of the Amami Islands. The island, 20.8 km2 (8 sq. mi.) in area, has a population of approximately 6,000 people, and is administered as the town of Yoron, Kagoshima. Much of the island is within the borders of t ...

Gallery

See also

References

External links