SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Click various section for different content
  • Home
  • Technology 科技
  • Travel 旅行
    • Travel 旅行
    • Europe
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
    • Hong Kong
    • Japan
    • Vietnam
    • Sri Lanka
    • Turkey
  • Photography 摄影
  • Entertainment 娱乐
    • Entertainment
    • Star Wars
  • Food and Drinks 饮食
  • Readings 读物
  • Life 人生
  • Chinese 中文
  • Blog
  • About
  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Technology 科技
  • Travel 旅行
    • Travel 旅行
    • Europe
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
    • Hong Kong
    • Japan
    • Vietnam
    • Sri Lanka
    • Turkey
  • Photography 摄影
  • Entertainment 娱乐
    • Entertainment
    • Star Wars
  • Food and Drinks 饮食
  • Readings 读物
  • Life 人生
  • Chinese 中文
  • Blog
  • About
CONTACT US
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Travel 旅行
  • Yakushima (屋久島)
0
Lim Kim Keong
Wednesday, 13 February 2019 / Published in Travel 旅行

Yakushima (屋久島)

First impression it had for me is come from animation film inspiration for the Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫) by animator Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿). Then I noted about it is UNESCO World Heritage (世界遗产) site.

It accessible from south Kyushu island, perfect for extend over from the trip from south Kyushu island.

Yakushima (屋久島) is a subtropical island off the southern coast of Kyushu and part of Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県). It is covered by an extensive cedar forest that contains some of Japan’s oldest living trees. Trees more than 1000 years old are affectionately called yakusugi (a combination of Yakushima and sugi, the Japanese word for cedar) ie Yakushima cedar (屋久杉), the most ancient of which may be over 7000 years old.

The island’s cedar forests were logged extensively in the past, particularly during the Edo Period for the production of cedar shingles. Today the forests have well recovered from past logging and are a national park, while some areas were declared a Natural World Heritage Site in 1993. Most tourists come to the island to hike through the forests and see the ancient cedar trees.

As a subtropical island with nearly 2000 meter high mountains, Yakushima attracts a lot of rainfall around the year, with a local saying claiming that it rains “35 days a month”. While that may be an exaggeration, there is some rain almost on a daily basis, especially in the mountainous interior, although the rain can also be light and limited to short periods of time. In higher elevations the precipitation falls as snow during the winter months.

Trekking in Yakushima Island

While in Yakushima Island you may want to try trekking.

Course 1: Yakusugi Land

 

This is a popular course where even beginners can enjoy the great nature of Yaku cedars. You can see Yaku cedars, which are over 1,000 years old, as soon as you get off the bus. There is a big river running through the course and the view from the bridge gives a fantastic atmosphere where the beauty of the forest and the gorge blend together. The trail is well-maintained and it is safe for children to walk, too.

Required time: 4 courses ranging from 30 min. – 2 hrs. 30 min.

Access: <Bus> Anbou ~ Yakusugi Land, 2 round-trip services per day, about 40 min., 740 yen 
<Taxi> about 30 min. from Anbou

Note: 300 yen donation for the maintenance of the forest (high school student and above, optional)

Course 2: Shiratani Unsui-kyo Gorge

Shiratani Unsui-kyo Gorge with the fantastical view resembling a movie scene. It is said that the forest in the anime film “Princess Mononoke” by Hayao Miyazaki, one of the top directors in Japan, was inspired from this place. The altitude is 600m (1969ft) at the entrance and about 900m (2953ft) in the forest of Princess Mononoke.

If you are feeling confident and your body is up to it, try going as far as Taiko-iwa in the innermost forest. The grand sight of the deepest part of the forest of Yakushima Island spreads before your eyes.

Required time: 3 courses ranging from 1 hr. – 5 hrs.

Access: <Bus> Miyanoura – Shiratani Unsui-kyo Gorge, 5 round-trip services per day, about 30 min., 550 yen
<Taxi> about 30 min. from Miyanoura

Note: 300 yen donation for the maintenance of the forest (high school student and above, optional)

Course 3: Round trip to Jomon-sugi

The symbol of Yakushima Island is Jomon-sugi or the Jomon cedar that is estimated to be around 2,000 years old or more. The course to visit this Jomon-sugi is 10.7km (6.7 mile) long one way from the entrance of the mountain and it takes about 10 hours for a round trip. If you are a good walker, it is possible to make it a day trip, but if you are not confident with your physical strength, it is recommended to stay one night at Takatsuka lodge standing ahead of Jomon-sugi. However, it is an unattended shelter and therefore you need to bring your own food and bedding.

 

More than half of this course is the tram road that was being used to carry wood until about 50 years ago. Wilson stump that stands half way on the course is popular because if you look up from inside of the stump, the cut edge resembles a heart shape.

Required time: 9 hrs. 30 min.

Access: <Bus> Miyanoura or Anbou – Yakusugi Shizenkan. Change to Arakawa Tozan Bus and get off at Arakawa Tozan-guchi. If you want to make it a day trip, you want to take the first bus that leaves Yakusugi Shizenkan at 5:00 am (4:40 am for relief service). The ride from Yakusugi Shizenkan to Arakawa Tozan-guchi is about 40 min., 870 yen (Not in service from Dec – Feb)
<Taxi> It takes about 5 min. from Anbou, about 30 min. from Miyanoura, to Yakusugi Shizenkan. Take Arakawa Tozan Bus from there.

Note: Please purchase a round-trip ticket for Arakawa Tozan Bus from a tourist information center, at the airport or in town, or from a large accommodation facility by the day before you want to walk on this course. In addition, there are no convenience stores that are open for 24 hours in Yakushima Island. There are bento shops that are open from around 4 am in Miyanoura and Anbou and you can buy lunch on the day you walk on this course (Reservation required on the phone or over the counter by the day before. Many of them do not speak English, so consulting your accommodation will be a good idea. )

Transportation

To access Yakushima Island, fly directly to Yakushima Airport when coming from Osaka and Fukuoka. When coming from other areas, go to Kagoshima by airplane or Shinkansen and then change to an airplane or a high speed ship or a ferry. When using a ship or ferry, please keep in mind the following: it takes about 55 minutes by bus from Kagoshima Airport to the boarding site of the ship or ferry, the schedule changes depending on the season, the ship or ferry will be cancelled in case of bad weather, and you need to confirm the destination as there are 2 boarding sites of the high speed ship in Yakushima Island.

 

Tagged under: Hayao Miyazaki 宮崎 駿, Japan 日本, Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県), Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫), UNESCO World Heritage (世界遗产), Yakushima (屋久島), Yakushima cedar (屋久杉)

What you can read next

Takayama Hida Wagyu Beef 高山 和牛 ~ 飛騨牛 ~
Campanillas Andalusia Spain Travel Photography
Campanillas Andalusia Spain Travel Photography
Northern Laos Luang Prabang

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • End of DayOne Journal

    I have been a user of the DayOne journal app si...
  • Blogging is not dead but evolved in 2023 and beyond

    Blogging has evolved over time, traditional blo...
  • New Year 2023

    It’s the New Year 2023, and this is my fi...
  • Restart online posting for self expression and sharing

    I set up the personal website, but from my own ...
  • The Era of the Individual

    The Era of the Individual is with us for someth...

Recent Comments

  • Lim Kim Keong on Supertrees Grove Gardens by the Bay
  • Linus on Supertrees Grove Gardens by the Bay

Archives

  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • August 2022
  • April 2022
  • February 2022
  • November 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • September 2014

Categories

  • About
  • Business 生意
  • Chinese 中文
  • Entertainment 娱乐
  • Food and Drinks 饮食
  • Life 人生
  • Lifestyle
  • News and Update 新闻和更新
  • Photography 摄影
  • Readings 读物
  • Technology 科技
  • Thought 想法
  • Travel 旅行
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
TOP