The Shirakami-Sanchi is a mountain range that has one
of the largest remaining natural beech forests in East
Asia. The World Heritage property covers a third of the
mountain range. The area features a rough mountainous
landscape that cuts through deep gorges and numerous
rivers, and a diverse forest environment. It was one of the
first properties of Japan to be inscribed on the World
Heritage List, which was in 1993.
Shirakami-Sanchi is peppered with valleys and waterfalls,
including the Mase Valley, Anmon Falls, and Daira-kyo
Gorge, which attracts many anglers and trekkers. It is
also home to some of the most unique plants in the
world, as well as protected species, including the black
woodpecker, black bear, and Japanese serow. Many
beech forests around the world lost much of their
ecological diversity due to the formation of continental
glaciers nearly 2 million years ago. However, these
beech forests are particularly prominent for its diverse
vegetation, which eluded simplification of earth’s glacial
stages. This resulted in a pristine, undisturbed forest
without extrinsic development.
Because of its untouched wilderness conditions and
undisturbed beech forests, the property is set apart for its
rare elements and ecosystem. Its rare bird species and
large mammals all function to keep this established
system stable and completed. The protected property of
Shirakami-Sanchi is the last of the cool-temperate beech
forests that once frequented Northern Japan. Thus, the
area is extremely valuable in long-term monitoring global
climate changes. The property is protected to maintain its
pristine forests and elements with little human
intervention.
