Mt. Yuwandake

Tallest peak on Amami-Oshima at 694 meters, and islanders consider it sacred, the place where the founding deities of the island descended from the heavens. The summit and its approaches are covered in subtropical broadleaf forest, home to endemic species including wild orchids, gingers, and birds found nowhere else, among them the Amami jay and Amami thrush. The easier approach comes from the Yamato village side, where a 370-meter wooden walkway climbs to an observation platform near the top. Hikers continuing to the summit should watch for the habu, a venomous viper that lives throughout the island.