About Ikimono Kokuho

Bringing Japan's living treasures closer

Japan protects many animals as national and prefectural Natural Monuments, but the information is scattered across government databases, prefectural websites and PDFs. Ikimono Kokuho brings the animals together in one place, searchable by group, region and map, with photos and observation tips.

What we cover

All animal-related national Special Natural Monuments and Natural Monuments, plus prefectural Natural Monuments: species designations, habitats and breeding sites, and native domestic breeds. Municipal designations are not yet included.

Facts such as names, dates and locations are checked against the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Cultural Heritage Online database and prefectural records, and each page links to its source. All descriptions are written independently by this site. Please refer to the official source for authoritative, up-to-date information.

Photos

Animal photos are freely licensed works (e.g. Creative Commons) loaded from Wikimedia Commons or iNaturalist and always credited with author and license. Signed-in users can share their own photos, which are automatically resized and stripped of location metadata.

Please observe responsibly

Capturing, harming or disturbing Natural Monuments is restricted by law. Keep your distance, never feed wildlife, and stay out of nesting and breeding areas.