Unique Ecosystem
You can find species from Southern Japan and Northern Japan in Oki?
Having changed over the course of several eras, the Oki Islands finally became the outlying islands they are today around 10,000 years ago. The history of this land, along with its geological features, created the mysterious ecosystem of Oki that still exists to this day.
The natural features found in the Oki Islands UNESCO Global Geopark are, even from a worldwide viewpoint, quite mysterious. Vegetation normally found in Hokkaido (Northern Japan) exists right alongside vegetation normally found in Okinawa (Southern Japan). Continental plant life, alpine plant life, even glacial-era plant life coexist in low-lying areas along the coastline. The reason for this has yet to be made clear, so there are still many secrets hidden away in Oki’s ecosystem.
This strange distribution of plant life has an effect on Oki’s insect and animal life. From continental insects that are spread throughout the islands to marine life, you can observe life forms from both the northern and southern extremities of Japan.