Yakushima

Yakushima

Native name: Japanese: 屋久島
Landsat image of Yakushima
Yakushima Location in Japan (with southern islands in inset) Show map of Japan Yakushima Yakushima (Kagoshima Prefecture) Show map of Kagoshima Prefecture
Geography
Location	East China Sea
Coordinates	30°20′38″N 130°31′26″E / 30.34389°N 130.52389°E / 30.34389; 130.52389
Archipelago	Ryukyu Islands
Area	504.88 km2 (194.94 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,936 m (6352 ft)
Highest point	Mount Miyanoura
Administration
Japan
Kagoshima Prefecture
Demographics
Population	11,698 (2022)
Pop. density	26.1/km2 (67.6/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Japanese
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Natural: vii, ix
Reference	662
Inscription	1993 (17th Session)
Area	10,747 ha
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Yakushima Nagata-hama
Designated	8 November 2005
Reference no.	1559[1]

Yakushima (屋久島) is one of the Ōsumi Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 504.88 km² (194.94 sq mi) in area, has a population of 13,178. Access to the island is by hydrofoil ferry (7 or 8 times a day from Kagoshima, depending on the season), slow car ferry (once or twice a day from Kagoshima), or by air to Yakushima Airport (3 to 5 times daily from Kagoshima, once daily from Fukuoka and once daily from Osaka). Administratively, the whole island is the town of Yakushima. The town also serves neighbouring Kuchinoerabujima. 42% of the island is within the borders of the Yakushima National Park.^[2]

Yakushima's electricity is more than 50% hydroelectric, and surplus power has been used to produce hydrogen gas in an experiment by Kagoshima University. The island has been a test site for Honda's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle research. (There are no hydrogen cars stationed on the island but electric cars are run by the municipality.)