It is said that rain falls "35 days a month" on Yakushima, where the island's unique climate has allowed an ancient forest and diverse flora and fauna to flourish. Located south of Kyushu in Kagoshima Prefecture, Yakushima is part of an island chain stretching almost 1000km south to Okinawa. Home to some 15,000 islanders, this most southern region of Japan experiences some of the world's highest precipitation. Along with 4000 to 10,000mm of annual rainfall, Yakushima's mountains are covered with snow for months while ocean temperatures never dip below 19℃. This climate combination has produced dense forest notable for ancient Sugi (Japanese cedar) trees. Yakushima's largest known specimen, the "Jomon sugi", is thought to be more than 7000 years old. On the World Heritage List since 1993, the pristine beauty of Yakushima draws 300,000 visitors a year. The forest is also reputed to have inspired the setting of Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 film Princess Mononoke, making it a popular destination for manga and anime fans, as well as for naturalists and scientists from around the world.