Japan's Ministry of the Environment lists 35 national parks. The first were designated on 16 March 1934, and the newest, Hidakasanmyaku-Erimo-Tokachi National Park in Hokkaido, on 25 June 2024. Each park is listed by the English name on the ministry's English pages, with its Japanese name. For one park, two ministry lists disagree about Osaka; we show both.123
Every national park
The ministry's list numbers the parks 1 to 35. For each park it gives the date of designation and the prefectures it covers.1 English names are spelt as on the ministry's English pages, with the Japanese name in brackets; prefecture names link to our page for that prefecture.3
| No. | Park (English and Japanese names as published) | Prefectures | Designated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park (利尻礼文サロベツ国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 20 September 19741 |
| 2 | Shiretoko National Park (知床国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 1 June 19641 |
| 3 | Akan-Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 4 December 19341 |
| 4 | Kushiroshitsugen National Park (釧路湿原国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 31 July 19871 |
| 5 | Daisetsuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 4 December 19341 |
| 6 | Hidakasanmyaku-Erimo-Tokachi National Park (日高山脈襟裳十勝国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 25 June 20241 |
| 7 | Shikotsu-Toya National Park (支笏洞爺国立公園)3 | Hokkaido | 16 May 19491 |
| 8 | Towada-Hachimantai National Park (十和田八幡平国立公園)3 | Aomori, Iwate, Akita | 1 February 19361 |
| 9 | Sanriku Fukko National Park (三陸復興国立公園)3 | Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi | 2 May 1955 (as Rikuchukaigan National Park, 陸中海岸国立公園); 24 May 2013 (extended and designated as Sanriku Fukko National Park)13 |
| 10 | Bandai-Asahi National Park (磐梯朝日国立公園)3 | Yamagata, Fukushima, Niigata | 5 September 19501 |
| 11 | Nikko National Park (日光国立公園)3 | Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma | 4 December 19341 |
| 12 | Oze National Park (尾瀬国立公園)3 | Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, Niigata | 30 August 20071 |
| 13 | Joshin'etsukogen National Park (上信越高原国立公園)3 | Gunma, Niigata, Nagano | 7 September 19491 |
| 14 | Myoko-Togakushi renzan National Park (妙高戸隠連山国立公園)3 | Niigata, Nagano | 27 March 20151 |
| 15 | Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park (秩父多摩甲斐国立公園)3 | Saitama, Tokyo, Yamanashi, Nagano | 10 July 19501 |
| 16 | Ogasawara National Park (小笠原国立公園)3 | Tokyo | 16 October 19721 |
| 17 | Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park (富士箱根伊豆国立公園)3 | Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Shizuoka | 1 February 19361 |
| 18 | Chubusangaku National Park (中部山岳国立公園)3 | Niigata, Toyama, Nagano, Gifu | 4 December 19341 |
| 19 | Hakusan National Park (白山国立公園)3 | Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Gifu | 12 November 19621 |
| 20 | Minami Alps National Park (南アルプス国立公園)3 | Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka | 1 June 19641 |
| 21 | Ise-Shima National Park (伊勢志摩国立公園)3 | Mie | 20 November 19461 |
| 22 | Yoshino-Kumano National Park (吉野熊野国立公園)3 | Mie, Nara, Wakayama | 1 February 19361 |
| 23 | San'inkaigan National Park (山陰海岸国立公園)3 | Kyoto, Hyogo, Tottori | 15 July 19631 |
| 24 | Setonaikai National Park (瀬戸内海国立公園)3 | Hyogo, Wakayama, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Fukuoka, Oita. The ministry's overview PDF also lists Osaka; its list page does not | 16 March 193412 |
| 25 | Daisen-Oki National Park (大山隠岐国立公園)3 | Okayama, Tottori, Shimane | 1 February 19361 |
| 26 | Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park (足摺宇和海国立公園)3 | Ehime, Kochi | 10 November 19721 |
| 27 | Saikai National Park (西海国立公園)3 | Nagasaki | 16 March 19551 |
| 28 | Unzen-Amakusa National Park (雲仙天草国立公園)3 | Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima | 16 March 19341 |
| 29 | Aso-Kuju National Park (阿蘇くじゅう国立公園)3 | Kumamoto, Oita | 4 December 19341 |
| 30 | Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park (霧島錦江湾国立公園)3 | Miyazaki, Kagoshima | 16 March 19341 |
| 31 | Yakushima (Island) National Park (屋久島国立公園)3 | Kagoshima | 16 March 20121 |
| 32 | Amamigunto National Park (奄美群島国立公園)3 | Kagoshima | 7 March 20171 |
| 33 | Yambaru National Park (やんばる国立公園)3 | Okinawa | 15 September 20161 |
| 34 | Keramashoto National Park (慶良間諸島国立公園)3 | Okinawa | 5 March 20141 |
| 35 | Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park (西表石垣国立公園)3 | Okinawa | 15 May 19721 |
Dates are as the ministry's list gives them. For Sanriku Fukko National Park the list gives two dates: the first designation, as Rikuchukaigan National Park, and its extension and designation under the current name.13 A park's name and area today may differ from when it was first designated.
Does Setonaikai National Park reach Osaka?
The ministry's two sources disagree. Its list of national parks gives 10 prefectures for Setonaikai National Park (瀬戸内海国立公園) and does not include Osaka.13 Its overview of national parks, from April 2026, lists Osaka (大阪) as well.2
We do not choose between them. The table shows the list page's prefectures and notes Osaka from the overview. If it matters for your plans, check with the ministry.
What this page cannot tell you
- English names are the ministry's. We print them as its English pages spell them, beside the Japanese name; we have not translated any park name ourselves.
- Designation date, not current shape. Parks can be extended or renamed after their first designation.
- Prefecture, not place. A park listed for a prefecture may cover only a small part of it.
Related: Officially recognised places in Europe and Japan · European Capitals of Culture: every city · European Green Capital and Green Leaf winners · European Heritage Label sites · European Capital of Smart Tourism winners · Japan Heritage stories.
Key takeaways
- The Ministry of the Environment lists 35 national parks.
- The first were designated in 1934; the newest, in Hokkaido, in 2024.
- Its list page and its overview disagree on whether Setonaikai National Park includes Osaka.
- What we would skip: planning from the prefecture list alone. A park can cover a small corner of a prefecture, so check the park's own page.
Sources
The parks, prefectures and dates come from the Ministry of the Environment's list of national parks and its overview of 10 April 2026, read on 1 October 2026; the English park names come from its English pages, read on 2 October 2026. The licence terms come from its terms of use. See how we research.
- Ministry of the Environment (環境省), 国立公園一覧 (List of national parks). Link to the Ministry of the Environment website (環境省ホームページ). Accessed 1 October 2026.
- Ministry of the Environment (環境省), 国立公園の概要 (Overview of national parks, 10 April 2026, PDF). Link to the Ministry of the Environment website (環境省ホームページ). Accessed 1 October 2026.
- Ministry of the Environment, Overview of National Parks (National Parks of Japan, English pages). Link to the Ministry of the Environment website (English). Accessed 2 October 2026.
- Ministry of the Environment (環境省), 利用規約・免責事項・著作権 (terms of use), and Digital Agency, 公共データ利用規約（第1.0版） (PDL1.0). Link to the Ministry of the Environment website (環境省ホームページ). Accessed 1 October 2026.
Changes made. 出典：環境省ホームページ「国立公園一覧」（https://www.env.go.jp/park/parks/index.html）、「国立公園の概要」（https://www.env.go.jp/park/doc/data/national/np_1.pdf）（2026年10月1日に利用）。環境省「国立公園一覧」「国立公園の概要」（同上）を加工して作成。 English park names: Source: Ministry of the Environment website, “Overview of National Parks” (https://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/parks/index.html) (accessed 2 October 2026). Created by editing that page: Traveloffsy matched each English name to the Japanese list by the park's number, link and designation date. We translated or summarised the Japanese text in our own words and compiled the tables ourselves, so they are edited data, not the government's own list. We use no logos or images. Traveloffsy is not connected with, or endorsed by, any Japanese government body. The English prefecture names and links are ours.