List of special natural monuments of Japan

The list of special natural monuments of Japan ( Japanese 特別 天然 記念 物 , Tokubetsu Tennen Kinenbutsu ) currently includes a total of 75 natural monuments of special value declared under the Cultural Property Protection Act , 71 of which are fauna, flora and geology. There are also four nature reserves designated as special natural monuments.

fauna

Nipponibis

In the fauna category, 21 animal species are currently declared as special natural monuments. The year of appointment is also given.

• Japanese Serau , 1955
• Japanese otter ( Lutra lutra nippon ), 1965
• Iriomote cat , 1977
• Ryukyu rabbit , 1963
• Nipponibis , 1952
• Black-billed stork , 1956
• Red-crowned crane , 1967
• Short-tailed albatross , 1962
• Snake consecration
• Ptarmigan , 1955
• Okinawa woodpecker , 1977
• Bonin-eyeglass bird , 1977
• Japanese giant salamander , 1952
• Swans from Kominato in Aomori Prefecture , 1952
• Sea bream and its habitat ( Tai no ura ) in Chiba Prefecture , 1967
• Firefly squid of Toyama Prefecture , in 1952
• Japanese firefly and its habitat in Okayama, Shiga Prefecture , 1952
• Yashiro crane ( 八 代 の ツ ル ) and its habitat in Yamaguchi Prefecture , 1955
• Tosa - Onagadori in Kōchi Prefecture , 1952
• Kōchi butterfly Graphium doson and its habitat in Kōchi Prefecture , 1954
• Kagoshima crane and its habitat in Kagoshima Prefecture , 1952

flora

In the flora category, 30 plant species are currently declared as special natural monuments. The prefecture in which the plants are found and the year of the appointment are also given.

Natural monument	Year of appointment	Remarks	location	image
Alge Marimo ( 阿寒湖のマリモ ) in Lake Akan	1952		Akan , Hokkaidō 43 ° 27 '1.5 "  N , 144 ° 5' 57.9"  E
Nopporo jungle ( 野 幌 原始 林 , Nopporo genshirin )	1952		Kitahiroshima , Hokkaidō 43 ° 3 ′ 12.5 ″  N , 141 ° 30 ′ 3.1 ″  E
High mountain plants of Mount Apoi ( ア ポ イ 岳 高山 植物群落 , Apoidake kōzanshokubutsu gunraku )	1952		Samani , Hokkaidō 42 ° 6 ′ 25.4 "  N , 143 ° 1 ′ 41.9"  E
Mount Hayachine and forest like high mountain zone of Mount Yakushi ( 早 池 峰山 お よ び 薬 師 岳 の 高山 帯 ・ 森林 植物群落 , Hayachinesan oyobi yakushidake no kōzantai shinrin shokubutsugunraku )	Natural monument since 1928		Hanamaki , Tōno and Kawai , Iwate Prefecture 39 ° 31 ′ 53.7 ″  N , 141 ° 28 ′ 26.5 ″  E
600 year old cedars of Mount Haguro ( 羽 黒 山 の ス ギ 並 木 , Hagurosan no suginamiki )	1955		Tsuruoka , Yamagata Prefecture 38 ° 42 ′ 13.9 ″  N , 139 ° 58 ′ 13.3 ″  E
Large Japanese zelkove in Higashine ( 東 根 の 大 ケ ヤ キ , Higashine no ōkeyaki )	1957	With a diameter of 12 m, the largest zelkove in Japan, around 1000 years old	Higashine , Yamagata Prefecture 38 ° 26 ′ 31.2 ″  N , 140 ° 24 ′ 6.3 ″  E
Habitat of the Pinguicula ramosa ( コ ウ シ ン ソ ウ 自 生地 , Kōshinsō jiseichi )	1952	belongs to the genus of fatty herbs that are native to the Nikkō National Park	Nikkō , Tochigi Prefecture 36 ° 40 ′ 27.1 ″  N , 139 ° 21 ′ 42.9 ″  E
Cedar avenue to Nikkō including a stone monument ( 日光 杉 並 木 街道 附 並 木 寄 進 碑 , Nikkō suginamiki kaidō tsuketari namiki kishinhi )	1954	Three avenues with a length of 37 km	Nikkō , Imaichi and Kanuma , Tochigi Prefecture 36 ° 35 ′ 46.3 ″  N , 139 ° 49 ′ 16.9 ″  E
Habitat of Siebold's primroses in Tajimagahara ( 田島 ヶ 原 サ ク ラ ソ ウ 自 生地 , Tajimagahara sakurasō jiseichi )	1952		Saitama , Saitama Prefecture 35 ° 50 ′ 17.4 ″  N , 139 ° 36 ′ 56.7 ″  E
Great wisteria of Ushijima ( 牛 島 の フ ジ , Ushijima no fuji )	1955		Kasukabe , Saitama Prefecture 35 ° 59 ′ 5.8 ″  N , 139 ° 46 ′ 24.1 ″  E
Cherry tree ( Cerasus speciosa ) ( 大 島 の サ ク ラ 株 , Ōshima no sakurakabu )	1952	800 year old cherry tree with a circumference of 7.9 m	Izu-Ōshima , Tokyo Prefecture 34 ° 45 ′ 49 ″  N , 139 ° 26 ′ 3.1 ″  E
High mountain plants of the ridge on Mount Shirouma ( 白馬 連山 高山 植物 帯 , Shiroumarenzan kōzanshokubutsutai )	1952		Asahi and Kurobe in Toyama Prefecture ; Hakuba in Nagano Prefecture ; Itoigawa in Niigata Prefecture 36 ° 38 ′ 56.9 ″  N , 137 ° 44 ′ 55.7 ″  E
Wild cherry Kariyado no kebazakura ( 狩 宿 の 下馬 ザ ク ラ , for example: cherry tree for the "rest stop at the hunting lodge")	1952	Oldest wild cherry in Japan	Fujinomiya , Shizuoka Prefecture 35 ° 18 ′ 6.9 ″  N , 138 ° 35 ′ 19.6 ″  E
Old cedar to Itoshiro (Mount Haku) ( 石 徹 白 の 大 杉 , Itoshiro no Ōsugi )	1957	Circumference 14 m	Gujō , Gifu Prefecture 36 ° 0 ′ 5.8 ″  N , 136 ° 46 ′ 18.5 ″  E
Jungle of Mount Kasuga ( 春日 山 原始 林 , Kasugayama genshirin )	1955	Moreover, part of the UNESCO - World Heritage "Historic Nara"	Nara , Nara Prefecture 34 ° 40 ′ 56.2 ″  N , 135 ° 51 ′ 46.1 ″  E
Forest with Japanese yew trees on Daisen Mountain ( 大 山 の ダ イ セ ン キ ャ ラ ボ ク 純 林 , Daisen no daisenkyaraboku junrin )	1952		Daisen , Tottori Prefecture 35 ° 29 ′ 0.9 ″  N , 133 ° 30 ′ 28.5 ″  E
Large camphor tree to Kamo ( 加 茂 の 大 ク ス , Kamo no ōkusu )	1956		Higashimiyoshi , Tokushima Prefecture 34 ° 2 ′ 27.4 ″  N , 133 ° 55 ′ 54.9 ″  E
Chinese juniper at Hōshōin ( 宝 生 院 の シ ン パ ク , Hōshōin no shinpaku )	1955	Circumference: 15 m to 23 m	Tonoshō , Kagawa Prefecture 34 ° 29 ′ 36.1 ″  N , 134 ° 11 ′ 49.9 ″  E
"Largest of all cedars" ( 杉 の 大 ス ギ , Sugi no ōsugi )	1952	Sequoia with two trunks with a circumference of 16 m each	Ōtoyo , Kochi Prefecture 33 ° 45 ′ 20.2 ″  N , 133 ° 39 ′ 47 ″  E
Boxwood forest on Mount Kosho ( 古 処 山 ツ ゲ 原始 , Koshosan tsuge genshirin )	1952		Asakura and Kama , Fukuoka Prefecture 33 ° 28 ′ 54.7 "  N , 130 ° 43 ′ 29.8"  E
Camphor forest on Mount Tachibana ( 立 花山 ク ス ノ キ 原始 林 , Tachibanayama kusunoki genshirin )	1956		Shingū and Hisayama , Fukuoka Prefecture 33 ° 40 ′ 45.7 ″  N , 130 ° 28 ′ 6.2 ″  E
Velvet beans ( Mucuna sempervirens ) in Aira ( 相 良 の ア イ ラ ト ビ カ ズ ラ , Aira no airatobikazura )	1952		Kikuka , Kumamoto Prefecture Coordinates are missing! Help.
Subtropical flora of the island of Aoshima ( 青島 亜 熱 帯 性 植物群落 , Aoshima anettai seishokubutsugunraku )	1954		Aoshima , Miyazaki , Miyazaki Prefecture 31 ° 48 '18.7 "  N , 131 ° 28' 32.7"  O
Habitat of the Japanese sago palm fern of the Toi headland ( 都 井 岬 ソ テ ツ 自 生地 , Toimisaki sotetsu jiseichi )	1952		Kushima , Miyazaki Prefecture 31 ° 21 ′ 54.8 "  N , 131 ° 20 ′ 24"  E
Mitrastemonaceae in Uchiumi ( 内海 の ヤ ッ コ ソ ウ 発 生地 , Uchiumi no yakkosō hasseichi )	1954		Miyazaki , Miyazaki Prefecture 31 ° 44 ′ 29 "  N , 131 ° 28 ′ 3.8"  E
Kandelia rheedii in Kiire ( 喜 入 の リ ュ ウ キ ュ ウ コ ウ ガ イ 産地 , Kiire no ryūkyōkōgai sanchi )	1952		Kagoshima , Kagoshima Prefecture 31 ° 22 ′ 29.3 ″  N , 130 ° 32 ′ 49.3 ″  E
Subtropical plant community of the uninhabited island Birō ( 枇 榔 島 亜 熱 帯 性 植物群落 , Birōjima anettai seishokubutsugunraku )	1956		Shibushi , Kagoshima Prefecture 31 ° 25 ′ 45.3 ″  N , 131 ° 7 ′ 1.9 ″  E
Camphor trees to Kamo ( 蒲 生 の ク ス , Kamō no kesu )	1952	Height: 30 m, circumference: 24 m	Kamō , Kagoshima Prefecture 31 ° 45 ′ 44.4 "  N , 130 ° 34 ′ 11.8"  E
Habitat of the Japanese sago palm fern in Kagoshima ( 鹿 児 島 県 の ソ テ ツ 自 生地 , Kagoshimaken no sotetsu jiseichi )	1952		Yamagawa , Bonotsu , Sata, and Uchinoura , Kagoshima Prefecture 31 ° 21 ′ 13.1 ″  N , 130 ° 42 ′ 15.6 ″  E
Cedar forest of Yakushima ( 屋 久 島 ス ギ 原始 林 , Yakushima sugi genshirin )	1954	Together with the Jōmon Sugi, the oldest cedar trees in Japan	Yakushima , Kagoshima Prefecture 30 ° 19 ′ 40.2 ″  N , 130 ° 31 ′ 23.1 ″  E

Geology and minerals

In the geology category, 20 geological formations and minerals are currently declared as special natural monuments. The prefecture and the year of appointment are also given.

Natural monument	Year of appointment	Remarks	location	image
Shōwa-shinzan ( 昭和 新 山 )	1957		Sōbetsu , Hokkaidō 42 ° 32 ′ 37.2 "  N , 140 ° 51 ′ 51.8"  E
Lime sinter at Getō- Onsen ( 夏 油 温泉 の 石灰 華 , Getō onsen no sekkaika )	1957		Kitakami , Iwate Prefecture 39 ° 12 ′ 36.6 ″  N , 140 ° 52 ′ 55.7 ″  E
Solidified lava flows ( 焼 走 り 熔岩 流 , Yakehashiri yōganryū )	1952		Nishine , Iwate Prefecture 39 ° 52 ′ 30.8 "  N , 141 ° 2 ′ 51.2"  E
Petrified trees Nesori ( 根 反 の 大 珪 化 木 , Nesori no daikeikaboku )	1952	15-20 million years old	Ichinohe , Iwate Prefecture 40 ° 11 ′ 24.8 ″  N , 141 ° 20 ′ 4.4 ″  E
Radioactive hakutolite at Tamagawa-Onsen ( 玉川 温泉 の 北投 石 , Tamagawa onsen no hokutōseki )		Hokutolite is a radioactive barite .	Semboku , Akita 39 ° 57 '42.6 "  N , 140 ° 43' 42.2"  E
Hot, periodic hot springs Megama and Ogama in Onikobe ( 鬼 首 の 雌 釜 お よ び 雄 釜 間歇 温泉 , Onikobe no megama oyobi ogama kanketsu onsen )	1952		Ōsaki , Miyagi Prefecture 38 ° 48 ′ 0.2 ″  N , 140 ° 38 ′ 52.8 ″  E
Tree-shaped lava of Mount Asama ( 浅 間 山 熔岩 樹型 , Asamayama yōganjukei )	1940		Tsumagoi , Gunma Prefecture 36 ° 26 ′ 53.6 ″  N , 138 ° 30 ′ 56.3 ″  E
Kagami-iwa rock in Kamikawa ( 御 岳 の 鏡 岩 , Ontake no kagamiiwa )	1956		Kamikawa , Saitama Prefecture 36 ° 10 ′ 45.9 ″  N , 139 ° 4 ′ 14.2 ″  E
Buried grove in Uozu ( 魚津 埋没 林 , Uozu maibutsurin )	1955	Three tree stumps from a cedar forest that was partially buried 2000 years ago; the largest with a circumference of 12 m	Shakadō, Uozu , Toyama Prefecture 36 ° 49 ′ 31.5 ″  N , 137 ° 24 ′ 23.5 ″  E
Kar of Yakushi Mountain ( 薬 師 岳 の 圏 谷 群 , Yakushidake no kenkokugun )	1952		Toyama , Toyama Prefecture 36 ° 28 ′ 5.6 "  N , 137 ° 32" 38.5 "  E
Tower-shaped limestone sinter between rocks ( 岩 間 の 噴泉 塔群 , Iwama no funsentōgun )	1957		Hakusan , Ishikawa Prefecture 36 ° 13 ′ 39.3 "  N , 136 ° 46 ′ 11.7"  E
Tree-shaped lava holes in Narusawa ( 鳴 沢 熔岩 樹型 , Narusawa yōgan jukei )	1952		Narusawa , Yamanashi Prefecture 35 ° 25 ′ 34.1 ″  N , 138 ° 42 ′ 3 ″  E
Limestone beads and stalagmites at the Shirahone Onsen ( 噴 湯 湯 と 球状 石灰石 , Shirahone onsen no funtōkyū to kyūjōsekkaiseki )	1922		Matsumoto , Nagano Prefecture 36 ° 8 ′ 51.7 ″  N , 137 ° 37 ′ 28.9 ″  E
Neodani fault ( 根 尾 谷 断層 , Neodani dansō )	1952		Motosu , Gifu Prefecture 35 ° 37 ′ 1.6 ″  N , 136 ° 37 ′ 15 ″  E
Chrysanthemum stones ( kikaseki ) by Neodani ( 根 尾 谷 の 菊花 石 , Neodani no kikaseki )	1952		Gifu Prefecture
Wakutama Lake ( 湧 玉池 )	1952		Fujinomiya , Shizuoka Prefecture 35 ° 13 ′ 38.1 ″  N , 138 ° 36 ′ 41.1 ″  E
Lava tunnel on Daikon Island ( 大 根 島 の 熔岩 隧道 , Daikonjima no yōganzuidō )	1931		Matsue , Shimane Prefecture 35 ° 29 ′ 42.6 "  N , 133 ° 10 ′ 34.4"  E
Akiyoshi stalactite cave ( 秋芳 洞 , Akiyoshidō )	1922	Largest cave in Japan with a length of 8.7 km	Mine , Yamaguchi Prefecture 34 ° 13 ′ 40.2 ″  N , 131 ° 18 ′ 12.3 ″  E
Akiyoshi karst plateau ( 秋 吉 台 , Akiyoshidai )	1964		Mine , Yamaguchi Prefecture 34 ° 14 ′ 11.1 ″  N , 131 ° 17 ′ 26 ″  E
Pot-shaped rock holes Yakama ( 八 釜 の 甌 穴 群 , Yakama no ōketsugun )			Kumakōgen , Ehime Prefecture 33 ° 42 ′ 13.6 ″  N , 132 ° 57 ′ 38.4 ″  E

Nature reserves

Four nature reserves are also declared as special natural monuments. The prefecture and the year of appointment are also given.

• Daisetsu-zan in Hokkaidō
• Marshland Oze , Fukushima Prefecture , Gunma Prefecture , Niigata Prefecture
• Kurobe Valley with Sarutobi Gorge and Mount Okukane ( 黒 部 峡谷 附 猿 飛 な ら び に 奥 鐘山 ) in Toyama Prefecture
• Kamikochi Highlands in Nagano Prefecture

Remarks

1. ↑ The Nipponibis is declared a special natural monument both in Japan and in Korea.
2. ↑ The name of the cherry tree comes from the fact that in 1193 Minamoto no Yoritomo dismounted and rested here during a hunt.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Nobuo Ishihara: 根 尾 谷 の 菊花 石 . 2014, Retrieved January 21, 2015 (Japanese, with many illustrations). 

Web links

Commons : Natural Monuments of Japan  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Natural monuments of Japan - photos
• Japan Association for Techno-innovation in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. 公益 社 団 法人 農林 水産 ・ 食品 産業 技術 振興 協会 , accessed January 17, 2015 (Japanese, lists most special natural monuments with a brief description and picture).