THE ALPS ON THE OCEAN

Welcome to Yakushima

December

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Yakushima is circular island with a circumference of 132 km. Located in southern Kyushu, 135 km from Kagoshima city, with a population of around 13,000 people.

Yakushima is also known as "The Alps on the Ocean", as there are many mountains over 1,000 m high on the island which covers in snow in winter. Mt. Miyanoura at 1,936m is the highest mountain in Kyushu.

The various ecosystems which exist at different altitudes make Yakushima unique. Each ecosystem has its own vegetation and landscape with gradual changes between them.

Yakushima was officially registered as Japan's first World Natural Heritage Site in 1993, along with Shirakami mountain in Akita