World Heritage Sites
Ogasawara Islands
(Photo taken in August 2010)
June 24, 2011, Ogasawara Islands, Japan - Crystal blue waters of fan-shaped Ogiike is fringed with the white sand beach on Minamijima of Ogasawar Islands in this August 2010 file photo.
The Ogasawara Islands, some 1,000 km south of Tokyo, was added to UNESCO's list of World Natural Heritage sites, becoming the Japan's fourth site to receive the designation on Friday, June 24, 2011. The chain of about 30 islands, dubbed the "Galapagos of the Orient" for their unique wildlife, including an endangered bat species known as the Bonin flying fox and the black-footed albatross. (Photo by Yoshio Shinkai/AFLO) [2058] -mis-