Nagata
From the coastal townships of Yakushima, the sacred peaks of the Okudake mountains in the center of the island are, with one exception, hidden from view by the closer range of perimeter peaks known as Maedake. Mt. Nagata alone—at 1,886 meters Yakushima’s second-tallest mountain—can be spotted in the town that shares its name.
Nagata, an environmentally minded community of fewer than 250 households on Yakushima’s western coast, spearheaded the island’s forest preservation movement in the early 1970s. It is also well known as a place where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. From May to July, the annual nesting phenomenon can be observed at the Maehama, Inakahama, and Yotsusenohama beaches. Hatchlings can be seen in August. Access to the beaches is restricted during these periods. Reservations for turtle-nesting observation tours can be booked online at nagata-umigame.com.