Forest in Shiretoko National Park

Shiretoko National Park was founded on June 1, 1964, and is one of Japan's most remote locations, with much of the peninsula accessible only by boat or on foot. Shiretoko is famous for having the brownest bears in Japan and for overlooking the island of Kunashir, which is the site of a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia. Kamuiwakka is a natural hot waterfall in the national park. This national park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The national park's forests are temperate primary forests and alpine mixed forests. It is home to many plant species, including Sakhalin Fir (Abies sachalinensis), Erman birch (Betula ermanii), and Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica). The Siberian Dwarf Pines grow beyond the boundaries of the forests ( Pinus pumila ). The national park is home to many rare animals, including the Ezo red fox (Vulpes schrencki), steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagics), and white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), and seals.

Location: The Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan