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.
