Today’s article will discuss the oceans surrounding the island of Yakushima, Japan. Yakushima, Japan is located in the Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is in Southern Japan, & is located in the Ōsumi Islands archipelago.
The island is known for its beautiful cedar wood forests, macaque monkeys, deer, Yaku Sagi trees, & their loggerhead turtle sights. Approximately 40% of all Loggerhead turtles coming into Japan are coming to Nagata Beach, on northern Yakushima Island. A big reason for the island being able to host such wonderful creatures is because the Yakushima National Park takes up 42% of the island. Part of the national park also includes a marine reserve, which hosts some of the loggerhead turtles.
The name Yakushima translated into English means “Medicine Island”, due to the medicinal properties of the herbs there. Yakushima Island is approximately 285.58 nautical miles (328.639595 miles or 528.89416 kilometers) from mainland South Korea. Yakushima island is approximately 194.9 square miles (504.78868 square kilometers), of which 83.807 square miles (217.059134 square kilometers) is a National Park. Part of this national park contains a marine sanctuary, which protects the various marine creatures.
Yakushima’s history spans 17,000 years, beginning in the south. It is designated as a Unesco World Heritage Center, for its ancient yakusagi trees. The highest elevation on the island is Mount Miyanoura, which is 6,352 feet (1936.09 meters). The current population of Yakushima is approximately 11,698.
The main town on the island is also synonymously called Yakushima, the website of this town is currently http://www.yakushima-town.jp/. Administratively, the whole island is the town of Yakushima. There are approximately 21 different postal codes on the island.
In this article, we will discuss the Documented History Of Yakushima, the Aboriginals of Yakushima, the Most Destructive Man-made & Natural Disasters of Yakushima, & finally the Economic state of Yakushima. With that being said, let us delve into this ethereal island.
The Documented History Of Yakushima
Before Colonization
Yakushima Island was formed when molten granite was forced upwards by tectonic movement, forming the island itself. After the formation of the island, granite slowly rose at a rate of 1 meter per thousand years, which formed the mountains on the island. This granite is still rising but at a much slower pace.
Yakushima has had humans around the island for at least 17,000 years, & on the island for at least 6,000. Evidence of human inhabitants has appeared in dwellings, ceramics, & fishing equipment. Yakushima most likely has more evidence, but very few archeological expeditions have taken place. It is for this reason that the prehistoric history of Yakushima island is extremely poorly understood.
After Colonization By The Japanese Empire
Historical Events From the 700’s
After this Chinese priests began regularly going on missions to the island, the most prominent of which are Ganjin. Ganjin visited the island in the year 753. It is said that Ganjin did not think the island was particularly important, but he did acknowledge the island's medicinal resources.
Historical Events From The 900’s
During the 900’s & the 1000’s the island became popular among Japanese Aristocracy, for its precious shells that were used as ornaments for various crafts.
Historical Events From 1000’s & 1100’s
Yakushima continued to export shells in this century, & aside from that didn’t grow much economically or culturally.
Historical Events From The 1200’s & 1300’s
There is extremely little information on what exactly went on in this century, but there is information on the neighboring island of Tanegashima. Many have theorized that the reason for this lack of records is that Yakushima just generally, was unproductive.
Historical Events From The 1400’s
In 1488, religious pilgrimages became more popular in Japanese Culture. These pilgrimages were to pay homage to the gods. It soon became common practice for villagers to venture deep into the Mountains once or twice a year to pray. This practice was officially known as Takemariri.
Historical Events From The 1500’s
In the year 1543, a few Portuguese explorers arrived on the nearby island of Tanegashima, with muskets, & sweet potatoes. They sold some of these sweet potatoes to the merchants of Yakushima, & some of their muskets. Sweet Potatoes soon became a national staple of the Japanese diet, & firearms became extremely popular for defense, in Yakushima.
Also in this century, after the warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi initiated combat with the Shimazu clan, & lost, the Shimuzu ordered some extremely old Yaku Sagi Trees to be cut down. These trees were cut down, & sent to Tokyo, but it is debated if they ever arrived.
Historical Events From The 1600’s
During the 1600’s the lumber industry on the island grew massively. The reason for this was that a period of near-constant warfare ended during this century, prompting the construction of many new castles. Before this century, only small trees near the coast were cut down for domestic use, but now it is proposed that the large Yaku Sagi trees in the mountains should be cut. The islanders revered these trees as they were an extremely important part of their religion, so they rejected any of these ideas very quickly.
However, a preacher, Tomari Jochiku, who was originally a citizen of the island returned & began convincing the villagers to cut these trees & expand the lumber industry. He convinced these villagers that he had spoken with the gods & that they had given the villagers permission to capitalize upon their lumber. It is theorized that he was counseled by the ruling Shimazu Clan to do this to capitalize on Yakushima’s abundant forests, but this is unclear. After this, Tomari was considered a local saint as he expanded the local economy & made many middle-class locals, very wealthy.
Historical Events From The 1700’s
An Italian Missionary known as Giovanna Batista Sidotti arrived on the island. Sidotti did not travel as a part of a missionary group or program, instead visiting completely alone. Upon arrival, He was promptly taken prisoner in Nagasaki. While in Nagasaki, he befriended a politician named Arai Hakuseki. Hakuseki eventually arranged for Sidotti to sail to Tokyo on house arrest.
Sidotti held a close relationship with Hakuseki until his unfortunate death in 1714. Right before his passing, it was discovered he converted his sailors to Christianity. This greatly angered the Japanese Authorities as Christianity had been outlawed in Japan in the 1630’s. As punishment, he was locked in the cellar of a building until his death, where his remains would stay until their discovery in 2014. After this, Yakushima seemingly disappeared from the records once again.
Historical Events From The 1800’s
Yakushima reappeared in the records during the 1800s when Land Surveys were taken of the island. In these surveys it was noted for its natural environmental value, & fishing value. Around this time, the Hiragi industry also grew. Hiragi are Cedar Wood roofing tiles, that are durable, water-resistant, & easy to transport. It was so popular that the island's annual stipend began being paid in Hiragi tiles, instead of rice. This unfortunately came to a massive halt when the shogunate collapsed in 1868. This industry wouldn’t begin recovering for at least another decade.
Historical Events From The 1900’s
The Hiragi industry continued rising up until the start of World War 2 when it began falling apart. The industry slowly recovered afterward, & cedar wood roofing shingles are still produced to this day. The majority of the trees on the island near the interior regions of the island were cut down & sent to mainland Japan. A logging village called Kosugidani was established in the 1920s to facilitate more forestry.
The logging officially stopped in 1970, & the last villagers left in 1972. The remains of this village can be found deep in the mountains today.
The Aboriginals Of Yakushima Island
Unfortunately, we simply do not have enough information to discuss the aboriginal Japanese of Yakushima, as there has not been enough archaeological data available to properly write a section.
The Most Destructive Man-Caused & Natural Disasters To Affect Yakushima Island
During typhoon seasons, Yakushima is often hit by strong rain & wind. This often causes roadblocks, flooding, & generally bad conditions. Unfortunately, aside from these occasional typhoons, we cannot find any information on major disasters affecting Yakushima.
The Economy Of Yakushima Island
The primary industries of the island are currently tourism, commercial fishing, & forestry. Also, the exporting of cedar wood shingles remains a prominent staple of the economy. The exporting of tea is also becoming increasingly popular. Tourism makes up approximately 72% of the economy of the island. Approximately 200,000 tourists visit Yakushima every year.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Yakushima - A Brief History” Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by YES! Yakushima. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2023.
Citation No. 2: “Yakushima - The Alps Of The Ocean” Written By Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by YES! Yakushima. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2023.
Citation No. 3: “About Yakushima” Written By Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Go! Yakushima. Retrieval Date: October 11th, 2023.
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