Yakushima
Mystical mountains and giant trees nurtured by abundant rainfall
Yakushima floats amid the Pacific and the East China Sea about 135 kilometers to the south of Kagoshima City. Although it is an island, it has several peaks almost 2,000 meters in height. Natural vegetation from throughout Japan is vertically distributed from the coastline to the mountaintops, and the island's virgin native forests are home to giant Japanese cedars that are thousands of years old. In recognition of this rare natural environment and ecosystem, Yakushima was designated as part of Kirishima-Yaku National Park in 1964 (designated as Yakushima National Park in 2012) and registered as Japan's first natural World Heritage site alongside Shirakami-Sanchi in 1993. The island offers numerous and diverse natural wonders, starting with the Jomonsugi Cedar, said to be between 2,000 and 7,200 years old, Mt. Miyanoura (1,936 meters), the highest peak in Kyushu, and the Shiratani-Unsuikyo Ravine with its moss-covered forest.
