Talk:Yakushima

Yakushima is located between Kagoshima prefecture and Okinawa prefecture in Japan. This island has been a World Heritage Site since 1993 and also has been a Natural Heritage.

Basic information

Population of this island is approximately 13,000 and the area of the island is about 504 k㎡Means of transport to Yakushima island is mostly ferry and airplane.

Geography

Yakushima is a mountainous region located 135 km away from Kagoshima. There are more than 5 high peaks in the island including Miyano-uradake that is the highest cape in Yakushima region. A huge granite that is about 25 km intrade in the central part of the mountain. The present Yakushima's mountains consist of the granite that was formed 15.5 million years ago elevating later. The rivers flowing through Yakushima spread out in a radial pattern. Yakushima has 140 rivers and there are 4 main rivers. In addition, because of steep mountains and heavy precipitation, Yakushima has canyons and riverbeds that are steeply sloped, as a result, it develops a waterfall.

Climate

Yakushima has a humid subtropical climate. Their rainfall is relatively large because the wet wind from the sea hit the mountains. Compared to Tokyo, the annual precipitation of flat areas in Yakushima is 3 times as large as them. It is quite rare for good weather to continue. Therefore, it is said that "Yakushima rained 35 days in a month" Annual average temperature is about 20°C, but near the top of the mountain is 6 to 7°C, ( it is colder than Hokkaido in Japan) so they have observed snow cover. Also Yakushima is the southernmost island in Japan that has observed snow cover.

Yakusugi

Cryptomeria Japonica which is over one thousand years old is called Yakusugi in Japan. It deals with natural environments such as the Yakushima's nature of the soil, gale, and deer's habitat. Due to secrete resin with antibacterial properties, Yakusugi have been extremely longevity.

World Heritage -influence after added to the World Heritage List-

Yakushima was added to the World Heritage List on December 11th of 1993. Two town councils in Yakushima resolve Yakushima's charter that provides guidelines for the future island through coexistence with the natural environment. However, it is indicated such as including trash by tourists, poor maintenance of the mountain lodge and bad quality of a tourist guide after being registered as it. Subsequently, the town mayors submitted an ordinance that regulate the number of day trip climbers to Jomon Cedar and a guest at a hotel, but it was rejected after all.