Category: Kyusyu
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Amami Islands
Travel guide to the nature-rich islands The subtropical Amami Islands are located between Kagoshima and Okinawa’s mainland. The islands are mostly wooded and home to a diverse and rare array of plants and animals. In recognition of this, the islands were designated a World Natural Heritage Site in 2021. The Amami Islands consist of eight…
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Tanegashima
Travel guide to the Rocket Island Tanegashima Island is located about 20 kilometers east of Yakushima Island and about 34 kilometers southeast of the Osumi Peninsula in Kagoshima Prefecture. I traveled by ship from Kagoshima to Yakushima, and then to Tanegashima. The island is famous for the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan’s largest rocket-launching complex, which…
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Yakushima
The first natural world heritage site in Japan Yakushima is a round island located about 60 kilometers south-southwest of the Osumi Peninsula in Kyushu. It covers an area of about 504 square kilometers. There are many mountains on Yakushima, and Mt. Miyanoura-dake, at 1,936 meters, is the highest mountain in Kyushu. Moist air from the…