Shirakami Sanchi is a general term referring to the massive 130,000ha (501 square miles) mountainous land extended over Aomori and Akita prefecture. In December 1993, it became the first Japanese World Heritage Site alongside Yakushima in Kagoshima prefecture. Shirakami Sanchi has been sheltered from human influence, maintaining its original shape with massive primeval beech trees. The forests of Shirakami Sanchi are home to precious rare plants and animals such as black woodpeckers and golden eagles.