The Mysterious Forest That Moved Hayao Miyazaki:: Kyushu:: Yakushima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture

Located in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Yakushima is not a large island, and you can walk across it in less5than five hours. However, it was Japan’s first site to be designated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site because of its exceptionally rich and significant primeval cedar forests, among which the Jōmon Sugi is the most iconic and renowned. This mysterious and serene forest has a calming effect on the mind and soul. When Hayao Miyazaki visited, he was deeply moved and used this place as the setting for the animated film "Princess Mononoke."Scenic spots.

While Japan boasts many famous scenic spots, relatively lesser-known Yakushima1993was inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in the same year as the Shirakami-Sanchi, and was also designated as one of Japan’s national parks. The main reason it stands out among so many cultural and natural wonders is that the central and western parts of the island are home to a vast ancient forest of trees over a thousand years old. This approximately107square-kilometer sanctuary surpasses other areas in Japan and became the first region to be listed as a World Heritage site. This ancient tree area covers about one-fifth of Yakushima.

Research shows that Yakushima’s bedrock consists of granite, and the island was formed by tectonic uplift. As a result, this small island features remarkably diverse terrain. Aside from Miyanoura-dake, the highest peak in Kyushu at an elevation of1935meters, in addition to Miyanoura-dake, there are6peaks with elevations exceeding1800meters, earning the island the nickname “the Alps of the Sea.”

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