Yakushima Fruit Garden is a small cultivated counterpoint to the island's ancient cedar forests. On the warmer south coast, it grows tropical and subtropical fruit trees that thrive in Yakushima's heavy rain and mild climate, from papaya and mango to more unusual island varieties.
It is not a headline sight like Jomon Sugi or Shiratani Unsuikyo, but it makes a pleasant short stop while circling the island by car. The appeal is slow and sensory: leaves, fruit, humidity and a reminder that Yakushima is as much a subtropical island as a mountain wilderness.