Southwest Japanese islands added to UNESCO World Heritage list

Commodore Perry,

It's true that the U.S. base of the Northern Training Area, aka, Jungle Warfare Training Center, has kept the forests in Yanbaru from commercial exploitation and development. So, do you want to say that Okinawa should owe thanks to the benevolent U.S.A? Lol.

By the way, do you know that your eponym, Commodore Matthew Perry, was contemplating to invade and occupy Okinawa to make it a U.S. beachhead to advance to Asia? You still keep that same 19 century mentality of imperialism, don't you?

It's true that the U.S. base of the Northern Training Area, aka, Jungle Warfare Training Center, has kept the forests in Yanbaru from commercial exploitation and development. So, do you want to say that Okinawa should owe thanks to the benevolent U.S.A? Lol.

By the way, do you know that your eponym, Commodore Matthew Perry, was contemplating to invade and occupy Okinawa to make it a U.S. beachhead to advance to Asia? You still keep that same 19 century mentality of imperialism, don't you?

Considering how obsessed we are with UNESCO, they should put all of Japan on the UNESCO list and remove a few places. It will save lots of time and money for everyone.

Just the south-west? Why not the whole of the Japanese archipelago?

Not good to be in the list. Many Western youtubers have shown the hidden attractions of Japan. Those places have become crowded.

voiceofokinawaToday  08:15 am JST

Unfortunately, however, a large part of it has been used by the U.S. military for jungle warfare training. Jungle warfare training for the defense of Japan?

No issue thought with Tokyo-based companies taking up prime land with their huge hotels like JAL, ANA etc.?

The military bases keep their land pristine, unlike the mess in Naha, or Chatan.

I've done plenty of hiking in Yanbaru, it's a great place to get back to nature. Too bad that training area is taking up so much a space.

The northern part of Okinawa Island, a mountainous region with lush forests, shows its beauty in a most salient way in mid-March through early April. The region, known locally as Yanbaru, is a habitat for precious rare animals and birds.

Unfortunately, however, a large part of it has been used by the U.S. military for jungle warfare training. Jungle warfare training for the defense of Japan?

In 2017 the U.S. returned about 4,000ha of the total 7,500ha of this training base, in exchange of which Japan had to build six so-called "helipads" for vertical take-off and landing aircraft such as Ospreys and Harrier jump jets.

These aircraft are still a great menace to precious rare animals because there is no demarcation for them between off-limits and non-off-limits areas.

UNESCO decided Monday to add a chain of islands in southwestern Japan with dense subtropical forests to its natural World Heritage list, Japanese government officials said.

The same UNESCO that recently took Liverpool off their list?