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Just off the southern coast of Kyushu lies Tanegashima, an island where tropical beaches, wellness retreats, and rocket launches coexist. Part of Kagoshima Prefecture, it’s the second largest of the \u014csumi Islands.\u00a0Unlike its neighboring secluded Japanese island, Yakushima<\/a>, Tanegashima is relatively flat with gentle slopes that lead to wide stretches of beach and fields of sugarcane.\u00a0Its subtropical climate supports lush vegetation, including banyan and palm trees.\u00a0With clear waters lapping at the shore and a scenic landscape, Tanegashima offers a place to swim, practice yoga, and even watch rockets launch into orbit from the island’s space center.<\/p>\n Long before it became known for rocket launches, Tanegashima played a key role in Japan’s first encounter with Europeans. In 1543, a Portuguese ship accidentally landed on the island after veering off course. With them came advanced firearms, a technology previously unknown in Japan.\u00a0Tanegashima’s local lord recognized their value and purchased several weapons. He later commissioned local swordsmiths to reproduce both the guns and their gunpowder.\u00a0This encounter sparked a major shift in Japanese warfare. Centuries later, in 1969, Tanegashima underwent another transformation when the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan’s largest rocket launch facility, was developed.<\/p>\n