Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island
Located in southwestern Japan, the series of sites covers 42,698 hectares of subtropical rainforest on four islands, forming an arc on the border of the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea, with its highest point being Yumaru-dake on Amami Oshima, at 694 metres above sea level. The site is completely uninhabited and has a high biodiversity value, with a very high proportion of endemic species, many of which are globally endangered. The site is home to endemic plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, inland water fish and decapod crustaceans, such as the endangered Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) and the endangered Ryukyu woolly rat (Diplothrix legata), which represent ancient lineages with no living relatives anywhere in the world. Five mammals, three birds and three amphibians within the site have been globally recognised as Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. In addition, many different endemic species are present on each island, which are not found elsewhere in the site.