Yanbaru

is the name given to the forested northern part of Okinawa Island in Japan. Spanning the northern villages of Higashi, Kunigami, and Ogimi, Yanbaru contains some of the last large surviving tracts of subtropical rainforest in Asia, with many endemic species of flora and fauna. Many southerners fled to the area for refuge during the Battle of Okinawa. As of 2012, Japan is preparing to nominate the area for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List alongside the Amami Islands.