Abstract
In Yakushima Island, which was designated as a World Natural Heritage in 1993, eco-tourism is developing remarkably. This paper divides the factors that contributed to the development of eco-tourism of Yakushima Island in Japan to two factors, one is main factors ((1) natural, historical and cultural resources, (2) growing number of tourists with better transportation facilities) and the other is caused factors ((3) the nature conservation problems becoming obvious as seen in the Johmon Cedar measures, (4) drawing up of the Yakushima Island Environmental and Cultural Village plan by Kagoshima Prefecture, (5) the designation as a World Natural Heritage and the support by administrations and (6) the changing the former stereotyped development typified in as Seibu Rindoh Path problem), and clarifies the movement and characteristics in recent years by analyzing these factors.
