Yakushima, Kagoshima

Yakushima (屋久島町, Yakushima-chō) is a town located in Kumage District, Kagoshima, Japan. The town is on the island of Yakushima and Kuchinoerabujima.

Yakushima 屋久島町
Town
View of Miyanoura and Yaku wetland area
Flag Emblem
Location of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture
Yakushima Location in Japan
Coordinates: 30°23′24″N 130°39′4″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu (Ōsumi)
Prefecture	Kagoshima Prefecture
District	Kumage
First official recorded	607 AD
Kami-yaku town settled	April 1, 1958
Yaku town settled	April 1, 1959
Merged with two towns and current town name changed	October 1, 2007
Government
• Mayor	Tonao Hidaka
Area
• Total	540.98 km2 (208.87 sq mi)
Population  (January 2008)
• Total	13,486
• Density	24.9/km2 (64/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	469-45 Koseda, Yakushima-chō, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima-ken 891-4207
Website	www.town.yakushima.kagoshima.jp
Symbols
Bird	Yaku komadori (Erithacus akahige tanensis Kuroda)
Flower	Yakushima shakunage (Rhododendron metternichii Sieb. et Zucc. var. yakushimanum (Nakai) Ohwi)
Tree	Yakusugi

History

On October 1, 2007, the town was formed by the merger of the towns of Kamiyaku and Yaku, both from Kumage District.

Geography

Major settlements of the island are the port towns of Anbō and Miyanoura. Other settlements are the coastal villages of Hiranai, Kuriobashi, Nagata, Okonotaki and the abandoned forest village of Kosugidani. Among the localities, there are the gorges of Shiratani Unsui, Arakawa, Yakushima Airport, Kigensugi and Yakusugi.

Demographics

As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 13,486 and the density of 24.9 persons per km². The total area is 540.98 km².

Transport

Yakushima Airport serves Yakushima. There are also hydrofoils and ferries serving the island. Kuchinoerabujima is accessible by a municipal ferry. Inside the island there is a forest railway, the Anbō Forest Railway.

Education

High schools

• Kagoshima Prefectural Yakushima High School
• Yakushima Ōzora High School (correspondence course high school)

Junior high schools

• Anbō Junior High School
• Gakunan Junior High School
• Issō Junior High School
• Kanadake Junior High School
• Koseda Junior High School
• Miyaura Junior High School
• Nagata Junior High School

Elementary schools

• Anbō Elementary School
• Hachiman Elementary School
• Issō Elementary School
• Kamiyama Elementary School
• Kanadake Elementary School
• Koseda Elementary School
• Kurio Elementary School
• Miyaura Elementary School
• Nagata Elementary School

Climate

Climate data for Yakushima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1937−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	25.3 (77.5)	26.1 (79.0)	29.6 (85.3)	29.8 (85.6)	31.9 (89.4)	34.8 (94.6)	35.2 (95.4)	35.4 (95.7)	34.7 (94.5)	31.3 (88.3)	30.7 (87.3)	26.6 (79.9)	35.4 (95.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	14.7 (58.5)	15.5 (59.9)	18.0 (64.4)	21.4 (70.5)	24.5 (76.1)	26.9 (80.4)	30.5 (86.9)	30.9 (87.6)	28.9 (84.0)	25.2 (77.4)	21.2 (70.2)	16.8 (62.2)	22.9 (73.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	11.8 (53.2)	12.3 (54.1)	14.6 (58.3)	17.8 (64.0)	21.0 (69.8)	23.7 (74.7)	27.0 (80.6)	27.5 (81.5)	25.7 (78.3)	22.2 (72.0)	18.2 (64.8)	13.9 (57.0)	19.6 (67.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	8.9 (48.0)	9.2 (48.6)	11.3 (52.3)	14.2 (57.6)	17.5 (63.5)	21.0 (69.8)	23.9 (75.0)	24.6 (76.3)	22.8 (73.0)	19.4 (66.9)	15.2 (59.4)	11.0 (51.8)	16.6 (61.9)
Record low °C (°F)	1.0 (33.8)	0.7 (33.3)	1.5 (34.7)	4.5 (40.1)	10.1 (50.2)	13.7 (56.7)	18.3 (64.9)	19.6 (67.3)	15.2 (59.4)	9.1 (48.4)	5.6 (42.1)	2.2 (36.0)	0.7 (33.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	294.6 (11.60)	289.2 (11.39)	387.0 (15.24)	405.5 (15.96)	444.1 (17.48)	860.3 (33.87)	362.4 (14.27)	256.5 (10.10)	450.7 (17.74)	309.9 (12.20)	309.6 (12.19)	281.8 (11.09)	4,651.7 (183.14)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm)	17.2	15.2	16.2	13.5	13.7	19.6	12.5	14.6	15.5	12.8	12.8	15.8	179.3
Average relative humidity (%)	68	68	69	71	76	85	83	82	81	74	71	69	75
Mean monthly sunshine hours	74.9	83.2	117.9	146.2	152.7	100.0	209.9	201.3	139.8	115.9	97.3	78.8	1,515.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[1]

Image

• 
  Forest of Yakushima
• 
  Hydrofoil serving the island