Publication of Animals of the Four Northern Islands (provisional translation)

The Center for Territory and History at JIIA has recently published Animals of the Four Northern Islands (Yama-Kei Publishers).

Edited by Noriyuki Ohtaishi (Professor Emeritus, Hokkaido University) and Mari Kobayashi (Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture), this book provides clear and accessible explanations of the natural environment of regions where field research is difficult. Covering areas from the Shiretoko Peninsula to the Four Northern Islands and Urup Island, the volume brings together contributions by leading experts in their respective fields. 

Through this publication, we hope to convey to a broad audience—from students to researchers, and especially to those with ties to eastern Hokkaido—that the region surrounding the Four Northern Islands is not only among the most biologically diverse areas in the world, but also a place where pristine, largely untouched natural environments remain, making it highly valuable from a conservation perspective.

Published in paperback by Yama-Kei Publishers, which is well regarded for its high-quality natural science titles, this book features numerous color photographs and illustrative plates of animals. Its content is also linked to the symposium “The Nature of the Four Northern Islands and the Shiretoko Peninsula: The Rich Seas at the Southern Limit of the Sea of Okhotsk Drift Ice (provisional translation),” hosted by the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty on November 27, 2025.

The book is available for purchase at the following link: 
https://www.yamakei.co.jp/products/2825510880.html

The contents of the book are as follows (provisional translation):

Chapter 1: 
The Rich Seas Surrounding the Four Northern Islands—The Marine Environment and Marine Resources
Chapter 2: 
Brown Bears (Higuma) of Kunashiri and Etorofu Islands—The Legendary White Higuma and Comparisons with the Shiretoko Peninsula
Chapter 3: 
Small to Medium-Sized Terrestrial Mammals, with Special Focus on Bats—Mammalian Fauna of Adjacent Japanese–Russian Regions Reflecting Geological History
Chapter 4: 
Whales and Seals—A Bountiful Sea Nurtured by Drift Ice
Chapter 5: 
Stellar Sea Lions and Sea Otters—Marine Mammals Whose Conflicts with Fisheries Raise Concerns
Chapter 6: 
Steller’s Sea Eagle and the White-tailed Eagle—Indicators of the Richness of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems
Chapter 7: 
Considering the Future of the Four Northern Islands—Conservation of the Southernmost Drift-Ice Ecosystem