YAKUSHIMA

Yakushima is a subtropical, mountainous island in Japan’s southern Kagoshima prefecture. Its unique terrain, climate and ancient cedar forests have seen it become listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Despite a small circumference, Yakushima is home to a number of large mountains almost 2,000 meters tall. Because of this, rainfall is very common as is snowfall on the peaks in winter.

The famous forests of Yakushima survived the Edo period logging boom and contain trees over 1,000 years old; one tree named ‘yayoi sugi’ is thought to be over 7,000 years old. According to UNESCO it is the last, best example of an ecosystem dominated by the Japanese cedar in a superb scenic setting.

Hiking is the main activity on the island with some of the most pristine trails in the country. Yakushima is also home to waterfalls, deer, monkeys, white sand beaches and giant sea turtles. The island’s infrastructure is well developed for visitors and includes various hotels, restaurants, shops and onsen.


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