National Parks · Okinawa
Yambaru National Park
やんばる国立公園やんばるこくりつこうえんYanbaru Kokuritsu KōenThe green north of Okinawa and its birds found nowhere else
Yambaru National Park protects the forested hills of northern Okinawa Island, one of the largest remaining subtropical rainforests in East Asia and home to birds found nowhere else, such as the flightless Okinawa rail. Designated in 2016, it forms part of a natural World Heritage Site inscribed in 2021.
Overview
Yambaru is the name Okinawans give to the northern part of their main island, written 山原, 'mountains and fields'. In contrast to the crowded, urbanised south, Yambaru is a land of low, densely forested hills, clear streams and small villages. The national park covers the three villages of Kunigami, Ōgimi and Higashi, from the ridge of Yonaha-dake (503 m), the highest point on Okinawa Island, to the limestone pinnacles and cliffs of Cape Hedo at the northern tip.
The park was designated on 15 September 2016, drawing on parts of the former Okinawa Kaigan quasi-national park. Part of the US Marine Corps Northern Training Area, returned to Japan in December 2016, was added in 2018. In 2021 the Yambaru forest was inscribed as a natural World Heritage Site, together with Amami-Ōshima, Tokunoshima and Iriomote.
The forest is small in extent but exceptionally rich: it is home to the Okinawa rail, a flightless bird first described by science only in 1981, the critically endangered Okinawa woodpecker and Japan's largest beetle, the Yanbaru long-armed scarab.
Landscape and formation
Yambaru is built mostly of old sedimentary rocks, sandstone and slate of the Kunigami formation, weathered into acid red soils. The hills are low but steep, dissected by many short rivers that drop in waterfalls such as Hiji Ōtaki. The high rainfall and warm climate support a closed canopy of evergreen broadleaf trees that, seen from above, looks like a sea of broccoli.
At the northern tip, the landscape changes abruptly: blocks of Palaeozoic limestone form karst towers, jagged pinnacles and cliffs such as those at Daisekirinzan and Kayauchi Banta, where the coast falls steeply to coral reefs. On the east coast, sheltered estuaries such as Gesashi Bay hold mangrove forests.
Highlights
Yonaha-dake
与那覇岳Yonaha-dakeThe highest point on Okinawa Island (503 m), a forested summit at the heart of the park.
Hiji Ōtaki
比地大滝Hiji ŌtakiA waterfall of about 26 m reached by a forest trail with suspension bridges, among the tallest on Okinawa Island.
Cape Hedo
辺戸岬Hedo-misakiThe northern tip of Okinawa Island, a limestone headland above coral reefs; on clear days Yoronjima is visible.
Daisekirinzan
大石林山DaisekirinzanA karst landscape of limestone pinnacles on the sacred hill of Asumui, with walking trails.
Gesashi Bay mangroves
慶佐次湾のヒルギ林Gesashi-wan no hirugi-rinThe largest mangrove forest on Okinawa Island, explored by boardwalk or canoe.
Kayauchi Banta
茅打ちバンタKayauchi BantaA cliff about 80 m high above the west coast with views over the reef.
Ecology
The Yambaru forest is a continuous canopy of Okinawan chinquapin, evergreen oaks and tree ferns, with an exceptional concentration of endemic species for its size. Many of its animals are relics of lineages isolated on the Ryukyu Islands for over a million years. Road traffic, introduced mongooses and feral cats have been the main threats; the Okinawa rail is frequently killed on roads, and fences, underpasses and warning signs aim to reduce the losses.
Flora
Okinawan chinquapin
イタジイitajiiThe dominant canopy tree, whose rounded crowns give the forest its 'broccoli' look.
Tree fern
ヒカゲヘゴhikagehegoGrows along streams and in forest gaps, reaching several metres.
Mangroves
ヒルギhirugiSeveral mangrove species line the estuaries of the east coast, notably Gesashi Bay.
Fauna
Okinawa rail
ヤンバルクイナYanbaru kuinaA flightless rail found only in Yambaru, described in 1981; a national natural monument.
Okinawa woodpecker
ノグチゲラnoguchigeraA dark red-and-brown woodpecker living only in the old forest of Yambaru; a special natural monument.
Yanbaru long-armed scarab
ヤンバルテナガコガネYanbaru tenaga koganeJapan's largest beetle, with enormously long forelegs in the male, living in hollow trees.
Ryukyu long-haired rat
ケナガネズミkenaganezumiA large tree-dwelling rat, among the largest rodents in Japan, found only in the Ryukyu forests.
Culture
Yambaru has long supplied the rest of Okinawa with timber, firewood and charcoal, shipped south on small sailing boats, and its villages kept close ties to the forest and sea. In Ryukyuan belief, Asumui at the northern tip is one of the first sacred sites created by the goddess Amamikiyo. Village rituals such as the Ungami sea-god festival of Shioya Bay in Ōgimi continue in their traditional form.
The village of Kijoka in Ōgimi is the centre of bashōfu, a light, crisp cloth woven from the fibres of the Japanese banana plant, once the everyday summer fabric of Okinawa and now a nationally recognised craft.
Bashōfu of Kijoka
喜如嘉の芭蕉布Kijoka no bashōfuCloth woven from banana fibre in Ōgimi, a labour-intensive craft of harvesting, boiling, splitting and weaving.
Asumui
安須森AsumuiA sacred limestone hill at the northern tip, linked with the Ryukyuan creation myth.
Ungami of Shioya Bay
塩屋湾のウンガミShioya-wan no UngamiA sea-god festival held in Ōgimi according to the lunar calendar, with rituals by priestesses and boat races on the bay.
Yambaru Wildlife Conservation Center
やんばる野生生物保護センターYanbaru Yasei Seibutsu Hogo SentāThe Ministry of the Environment's centre in Kunigami with exhibits on the forest's wildlife and conservation.
History
1972
The coast of northern Okinawa becomes part of the Okinawa Kaigan quasi-national park.
1981
The Okinawa rail is described as a new species.
2016
Yambaru National Park is designated on 15 September; in December part of the US Northern Training Area is returned to Japan.
2018
The returned forest is added to the national park.
2021
The Yambaru forest is inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Through the seasons
Spring
Birds call loudest in the breeding season; Okinawa woodpeckers nest, and fireflies glow in the forest.
Summer
Hot and humid, with the rainy season in May and June; river trekking and canoeing are popular. Typhoons are possible from July.
Autumn
Typhoon season lasts into September; afterwards clear, pleasant weather for forest trails.
Winter
Mild and often cloudy, with the north wind strong at Cape Hedo; the Okinawan cherries bloom early in the year.
Routes and trails
Hiji Ōtaki trail
A forest trail with steps and suspension bridges along the Hiji River to the waterfall, about an hour and a half return.
Yonaha-dake trail
A forest path to the summit area of Okinawa's highest point.
Gesashi mangrove canoe
Guided canoe tours through the mangroves at high tide.
Daisekirinzan trails
Several short loops among the limestone pinnacles with views over the northern coast.
Practical notes
- Yambaru is about two to three hours by car from Naha via the Okinawa Expressway and Nago; public buses are infrequent, so a car is practical.
- Drive slowly and watch for Okinawa rails crossing the roads, especially at dawn and dusk.
- Habu, a venomous pit viper, lives in the forest; stay on paths and use a torch at night.
- Some forest areas are only accessible with a licensed guide; follow local rules and the Ministry of the Environment's guidance.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Yambaru' mean?
It is the Okinawan name for the northern, mountainous part of Okinawa Island, written 山原, 'mountains and fields'.
Can I see the Okinawa rail?
It is shy, but it is sometimes seen crossing roads or foraging at forest edges in the early morning; the conservation centre in Kunigami explains where it lives.
When was Yambaru National Park designated?
On 15 September 2016. Returned US military training land was added in 2018, and the forest became a World Heritage Site in 2021.
What is the highest point on Okinawa Island?
Yonaha-dake, 503 m, in the heart of Yambaru National Park.
Related
Sources
- 1.環境省_やんばる国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 2.環境省_国立公園_国立公園一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 3.Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.National Parks of Japan (opens in a new tab) — Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan