Often called “The Island of Mountains” or “The Island of Woods,” Yakushima is an island featuring well preserved nature, off the south east coast of Kyushu next to Tanegashima and north of Okinawa. A huge cedar forest contains some of the oldest trees in Japan, known as yakusugi. The oldest among them is Jomonsugi, believed to be around 7,000 years old. Also, there are a number of mountains such as Mt. Miyanoura-dake and Mt. Nagata-dake. Yakushima is featured in the animated movie “Princess Mononoke” by Hayao Miyazaki and is designated as UNESCO World Heritage site.