Shiretoko World Heritage Site

Official name

Shiretoko | UNESCO

Country

Japan | Map

Continent

Asia

Location

Hokkaido prefecture
43.9494° Lat, 144.9658° Lon | Map

Code

1193

Time Zone

Asia/Tokyo (JST, +0900)

Current Time

Category

Natural

Description

Inscribed 2005. Shiretoko Peninsula is located in the north-east of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The site includes the land from the central part of the peninsula to its tip (Shiretoko Cape) and the surrounding marine area. It provides an outstanding example of the interaction of marine and terrestrial ecosystems as well as extraordinary ecosystem productivity, largely influenced by the formation of seasonal sea ice at the lowest latitude in the northern hemisphere. It has particular importance for a number of marine and terrestrial species, some of them endangered and endemic, such as Blackiston’s fish owl and the Viola kitamiana plant. The site is globally important for threatened seabirds and migratory birds, a number of salmonid species, and for marine mammals including Steller’s sea lion and some cetacean species.