Ramsar sites in Japan

The Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Adopted in 1971, it entered into force in 1975 and as of December 2015 has 169 Contracting Parties. Japan was the twenty-fourth party to accede, on 17 October 1980. Kushiro-shitsugen was the first of Japan's fifty Ramsar Sites as of the twelfth Conference of the Contracting Parties (2015).