We look forward to guiding you on this unforgettable adveture ！

[email protected] 

Yakushima Biyori-guide 

values and upholds the spirit of the Yakushima Charter. 

Yakushima Charter

(Established October 1, 2007)

Preamble

Yakushima is a treasure of the Earth and of humankind.
 This island—132 km in circumference and 503 km² in area—is the fifth largest island in Japan.
Embraced by majestic nature symbolized by the ancient Yakusugi cedar, Yakushima has long been a place where people bow to the gods, purify themselves in its flowing waters, and entrust their daily lives to the blessings of the sea.
For countless generations, the island has stirred the human spirit. In more recent history, it has also been a place where people struggled and contended with the challenges of forest conservation and utilization.
Today, Yakushima, which has largely escaped the harsh waves of materialism, stands as a revelation for humanity and embodies global environmental themes in its very existence.
We, the people who live on this island, recognize Yakushima’s value and role. Guided by our own beliefs and way of life, we commit ourselves to walking a path rooted in the island’s nature and history.
We consider Yakushima’s natural environment to be our most fundamental asset. By enhancing and wisely utilizing this asset, we aim to expand the scope of our daily activities and raise our overall quality of life.
This principle is one that should be upheld not only by governmental bodies, but by all people connected to Yakushima.
We hope that the island’s designation as a national natural heritage site and Kagoshima Prefecture’s Environmental Culture Village Initiative will honor this principle and steadily advance toward an ideal vision over the next hundred years.
With this hope, we hereby establish the following Yakushima Charter.

Articles

1. We strive to preserve and enrich Yakushima’s water environment—so that clean, delicious water can always be enjoyed anywhere on the island, and so that its natural beauty continues to inspire all who visit. Through these efforts, we continually reaffirm the value of Yakushima.
2. We aim to nurture a community where children, who have learned how to live in harmony with nature, can grow with dreams and hope—and become a source of admiration for children around the world.
3. We cherish Yakushima’s history and traditions. By making wise use of its natural resources and environmental blessings—without diminishing their value—we work to build a sustainable island for future generations.
4. We share rich and distinctive knowledge about the coexistence of nature and people, and we deepen exchanges with people across the world.