屋久島(やくしま)は鹿児島県(かごしまけん)の南方(なんぽう)に位置(いち)し、豊(ゆた)かで美(うつく)しい自然(しぜん)が広(ひろ)がる島(しま)です。九州(きゅうしゅう)最高峰(さいこうほう)の宮之浦岳(みやのうらだけ)やユネスコの世界遺産(せかいいさん)に登録(とうろく)された屋久杉(やくすぎ)自生林(じせいりん)があります。放射状(ほうしゃじょう)に広(ひろ)がる河川(かせん)と深(ふか)い渓谷(けいこく)、滝(たき)も見(み)どころの一(ひと)つです。また、「屋久島(やくしま)は月(つき)のうち、三十五日(にち)は雨(あめ)」と表現(ひょうげん)されるほど多(おお)く雨(あめ)が降(ふ)ることも特徴(とくちょう)です。Yakushima is an island located to the south of Kagoshima Prefecture, boasting rich and beautiful natural surroundings. It is home to Kyushu's highest peak, Miyanoura-dake, and the self-propagating forest of Yakusugi (Yakushima cedar) trees, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The radially spreading rivers, deep valleys, and waterfalls are also highlights. Furthermore, Yakushima is characterized by heavy rainfall, famously expressed by the saying, "It rains 35 days a month on Yakushima."
屋久島(やくしま)は鹿児島県(かごしまけん)の南方(なんぽう)に位置(いち)し、豊(ゆた)かで美(うつく)しい自然(しぜん)が広(ひろ)がる島(しま)です。九州(きゅうしゅう)最高峰(さいこうほう)の宮之浦岳(みやのうらだけ)やユネスコの世界遺産(せかいいさん)に登録(とうろく)された屋久杉(やくすぎ)自生林(じせいりん)があります。放射状(ほうしゃじょう)に広(ひろ)がる河川(かせん)と深(ふか)い渓谷(けいこく)、滝(たき)も見(み)どころの一(ひと)つです。また、「屋久島(やくしま)は月(つき)のうち、三十五日(にち)は雨(あめ)」と表現(ひょうげん)されるほど多(おお)く雨(あめ)が降(ふ)ることも特徴(とくちょう)です。Yakushima is an island located to the south of Kagoshima Prefecture, boasting rich and beautiful natural surroundings. It is home to Kyushu's highest peak, Miyanoura-dake, and the self-propagating forest of Yakusugi (Yakushima cedar) trees, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The radially spreading rivers, deep valleys, and waterfalls are also highlights. Furthermore, Yakushima is characterized by heavy rainfall, famously expressed by the saying, "It rains 35 days a month on Yakushima."
電力供給と事業者
屋久島の電力供給は、屋久島電工が製錬所の自家発電のために建設した火力発電所と水力発電所からの電気を、4つの事業者が分担して行っています。
九州電力送配電が電気を供給していない世帯や事業者も存在し、平時は水力発電で賄われ、火力発電は緊急時に限って活用されます。Features and Nature of Yakushima
Yakushima has an approximately pentagonal shape and is the second-largest island in Kagoshima Prefecture, after Amami Oshima. It ranks as the ninth-largest island in Japan, excluding the four main islands (Honshu, etc.).
Richness of Nature and World Heritage Status
Yakushima retains rich and beautiful nature, with 90% of the island covered in forest.
The area registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site—which includes the self-propagating Yakusugi (Yakushima cedar) forest and the vicinity of the Seibu Rindo (Western Forest Road) in the central part of the island, including Mount Miyanoura (1,936m)—covers about 21% of the island's area, or 107.47 km$^2$. This World Heritage inscription took place in 1993, making it one of the first sites from Japan to be registered.
Electricity Supply and Providers
The electricity supply on Yakushima is shared by four providers, using power from thermal and hydroelectric plants originally constructed by Yakushima Denko for their refinery's private power generation.
Some households and businesses are not supplied by Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution. Normally, power is covered by hydroelectric generation, with the thermal power plant utilized only for emergencies.