Japan's finest mountainous island where giant trees over 1,000 years old grow and a volcanic island teeming with life nurtured by the heat of earth and the raging waves.
Date of Designation: March 16, 2012
Area: 24,566 ha (land area)
Related Prefecture: Kagoshima
Yakushima Island and Kuchinoerabu-jima Island framed Yakushima National Park and are located on the bountiful sea where the Japan Current flows. Even though the distance between the islands is only 12 km, they were created from different processes and have very different natural landscapes.
Yakushima Island has a steep terrain with mountains of the highest peaks in Kyushu along with remarkable natural landscapes of the forest with giant trees like Japanese cedars over 1,000 years old. The natural beauty of the island is recognized as an outstanding universal value of the World Heritage.
On the other hand, Kuchinoerabu-jima Island is the largest volcanic island among the Satsunan Islands where fumaroles activities continue. The eastern part of the island exhibits volcanic landscapes while the coastal region maintains unique natural landscapes with coastal cliffs and sea caves eroded by strong wave action. Additionally, although it is a volcanic island, it is covered with rich vegetation, and endemic species not found on Yakushima Island, like the Erabu flying fox, can be seen.