Atago-san, Kyoto, Japan Photograph by Tobias Wittig   Eastern Asia: Eastern Japan, stretching southward Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   16,200 square miles (41,900 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Massachusetts Critical/Endangered

· Taiheiyo Treasures
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Taiheiyo Treasures

The deciduous forests of this ecoregion carpet the hills and mountains in the Pacific Ocean (Taiheiyo) side of Japan’s Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu Islands. Thick, tall stalks of sasa, a dwarf bamboo, form a dense understory beneath beech and fir trees. As night approaches, animals such as shika deer and Asiatic black bears emerge to forage for food beneath the trees.

Special Features

Abundant rain falls in this region during early summer, bringing white lilies and other flowers into bloom. Winters here are dry, influenced by the Japan Current offshore. Vegetation varies from shore to shore; one side of Japan experiences a climate influenced by the Sea of Japan, while the other experiences a climate influenced by the Pacific Ocean. On the Pacific side, some of the highest plant diversity in Japan can be found.

	The Japanese giant salamander is one of the world’s largest amphibians. It lives in the cold, clear, fast-moving streams in the mountains of southwestern Honshu, hiding during the day and coming out at night to suck frogs, crabs, and fish into its wide mouth. This rare endemic species is designated as one of Japan’s Special Natural Monuments. It can live to be 50 years old.

Wild Side

As the first indigo shadows of twilight settle over the forest, a herd of Japanese sika deer begins to browse on grasses, leaves, and twigs. The mahogany coats of these deer are mottled with white spots. An Asiatic black bear emerges on the scene, rummaging through the forest floor for fallen acorns and other tasty foods. A yellow bunting, which breeds in this ecoregion, flies through the trees on lemon-colored wings. A Japanese giant salamander comes out at night, foraging for frogs, crabs, and fish to eat. This large amphibian can weigh as much as 88 pounds (40 kg) and reach a length of 5 feet (1.5 m).

Cause for Concern

Primary deciduous forests have almost disappeared in Japan, replaced by conifer plantations and urban areas. Limited tracts of original forest are protected within national parks, but even there, logging, road construction, and the development of tourist facilities fragment the forests. Such activities further threaten species such as the Asiatic black bear and sika deer, which already face local extinction.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.