Debris and objects blown by strong winds caused by typhoon Shanshan are seen on a sidewalk of a road in Miyazaki. File/AFP

An iconic 3,000-year-old cedar tree on Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan has been toppled, likely due to strong winds brought by Typhoon Shanshan, local tour guides said Tuesday.

Japanese news agency Kyodo News reported that the 26-metre-high cedar, named "Yayoisugi," with a trunk circumference of about 8 metres, was a key feature of the tourist site Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine. The guides found it collapsed on Saturday.

Typhoon Shanshan neared the island between on 27th and 29th August, with wind speeds of up to 168.48 km per hour on Wednesday night, according to the local weather observatory.

The island, known for its more than 1,000-years-old "Yakusugi" cedars, was designated as a World Natural Heritage site in 1993 by the UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

WAM