Yakushima Island
Yakushima Island is an island with amazing protected nature; in a relatively small area there are simultaneously tropical forests with banana groves, cedar forests and snow-capped mountain peaks. For a long time, Yakushima has been considered one of the most popular tourist destinations, with 2 to 3 million tourists visiting it annually, including domestic ones.
General information
In 1997, Yakushima Island was included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. This is a nature reserve; special trails have been laid for the convenience of tourists, as well as for the conservation of nature. Wooden decks protect the roots of ancient cedars, and suspension bridges help cross numerous rivers. There are many information stands with descriptions of plants, animals and other objects.
Before the island of Yakushima was included in the UNESCO lists, the main business of its inhabitants was timber extraction. Rare species of pine and cedar were cut down and sold, and used for construction. Nowadays, in places where the forest was cut down, tea grows, a rare variety that bears the name of the island. Oranges, tangerines and lemon are also grown here; citrus trees thrive in the humid subtropical climate. The highest point of the island of Yakushima is Mount Miyanoura, its height is 1935 meters, it, like the island itself, is built of granite. It is the granite foundation that protects the island from earthquakes, which so often occur in this region.
Attractions
The main value of Yakushima Island is its extraordinary nature. After deforestation on the island for a long time, there weren’t many centuries-old cedars and rare pines left. Today, each such tree has its own name; they are protected and believed in the presence of spirits in them, to whom they bring small gifts. The Japanese claim that it is on the island of Yakushima that the oldest cedar in the world grows, its height is just over 20 meters, and its girth is more than five, there is a special name plate next to it, people come to it with gifts.
Small monkeys live in large numbers on the island. They consider themselves the rightful owners of these places and on this basis demand treats from numerous tourists. For this they willingly pose for photos. Local residents have a legend associated with the appearance of the island. It is believed that Yakushima is a water dragon (one of the main symbols of Japan), he disobeyed the gods and floated to the surface of the water, for which he was turned into granite. In fact, the island's landscape is quite mountainous and has more than 20 peaks over 1000 meters high. They are covered with a layer of snow most of the year and are also called the Japanese Alps. The main city of the island is also called Yakushima, it is located on the coast, the number of local residents is less than 20 thousand people. Some of them are involved in maintaining the nature reserve, working as guides, and growing tea and oranges.
