Yambaru Wildlife Conservation Center Ufugi Nature Museum will be renovated into “Yambaru World Heritage Conservation Center Ufugi Nature Museum”.

The center will be closed from May 6, 2024 (Mon.) for renovation.

The reopening date will be announced later.

What is “Yambaru”?

Yambaru Wildlife Conservation Center Ufugi Nature Museum > What is “Yambaru”? > World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites

What is World Heritage?

What is World Heritage? World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are precious assets for all mankind, and have thus been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. These treasures are recognized based on the World Heritage Convention as having outstanding universal value to humanity and are thus worthy of protection. World Heritage sites include Cultural Sites, Natural Sites, and Mixed Sites, which have high value in both cultural and natural senses.

The World Heritage Convention was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in November 1972. Japan ratified the Convention in 1992.

Inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site: Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island

Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island became Japan’s fifth World Natural Heritage site – along with Shirakami-Sanchi, Yakushima, Shiretoko, and the Ogasawara Islands – when inscribed on July 26, 2021.

　Influenced by the Kuroshio Current and a subtropical high-pressure system, the property has a warm and humid climate and is covered mainly with evergreen broadleaved subtropical rainforests. Befitting a geological history of repeated separation and rejoining with continental landmasses, the site is inhabited by a wide range of species. Many of these species are endangered and endemic to the central and southern Ryukyu region, making it a global biodiversity hotspot.

Within the site, the central mountain ridges of the northern part of Okinawa Island are a particular part of the inscribed property, with a buffer zone established surrounding it. This region is covered with subtropical evergreen forests inhabited by species such as the Okinawa rail, Okinawa woodpecker, and the Ryukyu long-haired rat, with rigorous conservation measures in place through designation as the Yambaru National Park and forest ecosystem protected area.

See here for more details about the Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island World Heritage Site
http://kyushu.env.go.jp/okinawa/amami-okinawa/description/index.html

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