The Environment Ministry is close to completing the eradication of invasive mongooses from Amami-Oshima Island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in Kagoshima Prefecture.
The mongoose's presence on Amami-Oshima led to a decline in other native species on the island, and is an example of how human interference in nature goes wrong.
From the wilds of Hokkaido in the far north to sub-tropical Okinawa in the south, the natural environment and traditions of Japan can be experienced in an ever-developing network of national parks.