Yakushima, a small island off the southern tip of Kyushu, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 largely on the strength of its ancient Cryptomeria japonica forests — some individual trees exceeding 2,000 years of age. Cook Islands issued a considerable volume of themed silver rounds through this period under licensing arrangements that let private minting houses drive the subject matter, which is why a Japanese forest island appears on a Pacific territory's coinage.
Yakushima, a small island off the southern tip of Kyushu, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 largely on the strength of its ancient Cryptomeria japonica forests — some individual trees exceeding 2,000 years of age. Cook Islands issued a considerable volume of themed silver rounds through this period under licensing arrangements that let private minting houses drive the subject matter, which is why a Japanese forest island appears on a Pacific territory's coinage.