Yambaru Forest and National Park

The northern third of Okinawa Island is covered by the Yambaru subtropical forest, designated a national park in 2016 and added to the UNESCO Natural World Heritage list in 2021. This is the wildest part of the main island: forested ridges, mangrove estuaries, clear rivers, and a coastline with no resort development. It is home to several species found nowhere else on earth, including the Okinawa rail and the Okinawa woodpecker.

The forest is accessed from the small towns of Higashi, Kunigami, and Ogimi on the island's northern tip. Hiking trails range from easy coastal walks to longer forest routes, and guided wildlife tours depart from several locations. The best chance of seeing endemic wildlife is on early-morning walks with a local guide who knows the forest well. The area is rural and requires a car; the journey north through the forest on the east-coast road is one of the most scenic drives on the island. Ogimi is known as the longevity village — a place with an unusually high concentration of people over 90, who credit the local diet and pace of life.

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A story
The Okinawa rail — a flightless bird called yanbaru kuina in Japanese — exists nowhere else on earth. It was only formally identified as a species in 1981 and was almost immediately placed on the critically endangered list; the wild population was estimated at fewer than 1,500 individuals at its lowest point. Road deaths from cars on the forest roads remain one of the main threats to its survival.