Yakushima
Administratively, the whole island is the town of Yakushima. The town also serves neighbouring Kuchinoerabujima. The majority of the island is within the borders of the Kirishima-Yaku National Park. Yakushima's electricity is more than 50% hydroelectric, and surplus power has been used to produce hydrogen gas in an experiment by Kagoshima University. The island has been a test site for Honda's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle research. (There are no hydrogen cars stationed on the island but electric cars are run by the municipality.) World Heritage designation. In 1980 an area of was designated a UNESCO Man  and the Biosphere Reserve. In 1993, of wetland at Nagata-hama was designated a Ramsar Site. It is the largest nesting ground for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle in the North Pacific. Yakushima's unique remnant of warm/temperate ancient forest has been a natural World Heritage Site since 1993. In the Wilderness core area () of the World Heritage Site, no record of past tree cutting can be traced. The island is visited by 300,000 tourists every year. Geography. Yakushima is located approximately south of the southern tip of Ōsumi Peninsula in southern Kyushu, or south of Kagoshima. The Vincennes  Strait (Yakushima Kaikyō) separates it from the nearby island of Tanegashima, which is home to the Japanese Space Centre. Periodic rocket launches from Tanegashima can clearly be seen from Yakushima. The bedrock of the island is granite, and as such it hosts no active volcanoes. It has an area of approximately . The island is roughly circular in shape, with a circumference of and a diameter of . The highest elevations on the island are , with a height of , and , with a height of above sea level; however, Yakushima has another 30 peaks of over in height. There are numerous hot springs  on the island. History. Yakushima has been settled since at least the Jōmon period. It was first mentioned in written documents of the Chinese Sui Dynasty of the 6th century, and in the Japanese "Shoku Nihongi" in an entry dated 702 CE. It formed part of ancient Tane Province. It was often mentioned in the diaries of travelers between Tang Dynasty China and Nara period Japan. During the Edo period, Yakushima was ruled by the Shimazu clan of the Satsuma Domain and was considered part of Ōsumi Province. Following the Meiji restoration, the island has been administered as part of  Kagoshima Prefecture. In 2017, Yakushima was struck by Typhoon Noru causing one death. Demographics and economics. The population of Yakushima reached a peak in 1960 with 24,010 inhabitants. It thereafter declined until about 1995, but has subsequently stabilized at just over 13,000 inhabitants. Traditionally, the economic mainstays of the population were forestry and the export of wood products (principally cedar roof shingles), and commercial fishing. Cultivation of oranges and tea, the distilling of shōchū, and tourism are now the main sources of income. Flora and fauna. Yakushima contains one of the largest tracts of existing Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests , an endangered habitat ecoregion. The only large animals indigenous to the island are red-bottomed macaques (Yakushima macaque) and a variety of sika deer ("yakushika"). The Japanese raccoon dog is also a common animal, but is not native to the island. Japanese weasels ("Mustela itatsi") may also be seen from time to time. The island is a spawning ground for migratory loggerhead turtles, and dolphins are to be found offshore. The coastal areas have coral reefs in places, although to a much lesser extent than are found farther south in the islands of Okinawa. The island, along with neighbouring Tanegashima , has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because they support populations of Japanese wood pigeons, Ryukyu green pigeons and Ryukyu robins. Yakushima is famous for its lush vegetation. Most of the island has at one time or another been logged (dating back at least to the early Edo period), but has been extensively replanted and reseeded since logging ended in the late 1960s, at which time a conservation regime was established. In addition to this secondary forest, there are some remaining areas of primary forest, composed mainly of a variety of "Cryptomeria japonica," or Japanese  cedar, known as , the best known single example of which is named the , as its age is estimated to date to at least the Jōmon period of Japanese history, 2300 years ago. In addition, the island lists over 50 varieties of endemic flower, notably rhododendrons, and hundreds of rare endemic "Bryophyta," as well as a number of endemic trees. Climate. Yakushima has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfa") with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Precipitation is extremely heavy, with at least in each month and as much as in June alone. Yakushima is Japan's wettest place , and annual precipitation in Yakushima is one of the world's highest at . It is said by the locals to rain "35 days a month". There are drier periods in autumn and winter, while the heaviest downpours occur in spring and summer, often accompanied by landslides. It is the southernmost place in Japan where there is snow in the mountains, often for months, while the ocean temperature is never below Pollution. According to a disputed theory, airborne pollutants from the People's Republic of China may have affected Yakushima white pine in the forest on the island. The scientific results  have been published: "Environmental factors influencing the load of long-range transported air pollutants on Pinus amamiana in Yakushima Island, Japan" IN: January 2009 Ecological Research 25(1):233-243. Transportation. Airport. Yakushima Airport is the main airport that serves the island. Ferries. Tanegayaku High Speed Ship Jetfoil "Toppy" "Rocket" Buses. The number of bus services is relatively high in Tanegashima and Yakushima. They operate from morning till evening. However, there are very few buses on each route. Cars. There are several rental car companies. The northwestern road called the Western Forest Road is a narrow road which is difficult for cars  to pass each other. The road is closed due to steep curves and steep slopes. The gas prices on the island is several tens of yen higher than the Japanese mainland. Railway. The last operating narrow gauge (762mm gauge) timber railway in Japan is on the island but it is freight only. Several other lines did operate but are now closed. The track is used by some hikers as a path but this can be dangerous as the line is very much still in operation. Onsen. There are several onsen (hot springs) on Yakushima.