Yaku Island
Yakushima, Kumage District, Kagoshima, Japan
Description:
Yaku, or Yakushima, is a Japanese island located 60 kilometers south of the island of Kyushu. Yakushima is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is an irregularly shaped pentagon with an area of almost 505 square kilometers. The highest point of the island, rises above sea level at 1935 meters. Much of Yakushima is covered with moist, rainforest.
The most widespread on the island was the sugi tree, or yaku-sugi. The island is also rich in fauna, represented by deer and monkeys. There are many picturesque waterfalls, mountains, thermal springs. All this attracts about 300,000 tourists a year.
In 1993, Yakushima Island was inaugurated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a unique example of a well-preserved rainforest.