is a marine national park located in Nagasaki prefecture

Nagasaki Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...

 of northwest Kyūshū

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It consists of the coastal regions of Matsuura Peninsula, extending northward from the port city of Sasebo

Sasebo, Nagasaki

is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...

 and encompasses the Kujukushima, with over 200 islands to the west, Hirado Peninsula further west, and the coastlines of the Gotō Islands

Goto Islands

The are Japanese islands in the East China Sea, off the western coast of Kyūshū. The islands are a part of Nagasaki Prefecture.- Geography :There are 140 islands in total, including five main islands:,,,, and....

 to the far west.

History

Efforts to create Saikai National Park began in 1949, at the initiative of then-Sasebo mayor Masasuke Nagata. The area encompassing the present park mostly fell within the territory of the former Sasebo Naval District

Sasebo Naval District

was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...

 of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

, and was regarded as a strategic zone in which photography was strictly prohibited, and visitation by outsiders was discouraged. After the surrender of Japan

Surrender of Japan

The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...

 and dissolution of the Japanese military, Mayor Nagata saw the possibilities of tourism to boost the local economy, and petitioned the Diet of Japan

Diet of Japan

The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...

, aided by studies made by Tokyo University, Kyoto University

Kyoto University

, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...

, Nagasaki University

Nagasaki University

is a national university of Japan. Its nickname is Chōdai . The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.- History :...

 and a promotional campaign made by Mainichi Shimbun

Mainichi Shimbun

The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...

newspaper.

The campaign was ultimately successful, and Sakai National Park was established on March 16, 1955, It was the 18th national park to be created in Japan.

Geography and geology

This park consists of more than 400 islands, large and small, including Hirado, the Kujukushima Islands, and the Gotō Islands. Hirado retains the historic sites of its erstwhile port for foreign trade. The Gotō Islands have interesting inlets and high cliffs as well as rare volcanic formations.

Wildlife and ecology

The park is valued for its scenic beauty and as an ecological support for the rich fishing grounds in the area. The mild climate and warm currents result in semi-tropical vegetation, including tree ferns and tree varieties which are rarely found elsewhere in Japan.

External links

• UNEP-WCMC data sheet
• http://www.biodic.go.jp/english/jpark/np/saikai_e.html