The Kerama Shoto National Park was born on March 5th of this year. With its focus on the Kerama region (Zamami Village and Tokashiki Village) in Okinawa Prefecture, it is Japan's 31st national park and the first to be established in 27 years. In this article I would like to look at how the Kerama islands came to be newly designated a national park and introduce the unique features of the park's areas and natural environment.