Yakushima understand · Yakushima tourist information
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Yakushima tourist information
Yakushima tourist information
Yakushima (circumference 135 kilometers) is a small, nearly round granite island that has an area of ~505km and is mountainous with a number of mountains rising over 1,800m, including Miyanoura-dake at 1,935m and Nagata-dake at 1,886m. These mountains catch a great deal of precipitation, earning Yakushima a reputation of being one of the most rain-soaked places in Japan, with measurable precipitation 50% of the days of the year.
Due to its isolation, steep terrain and exceptional climate Yakushima is one of Japan's natural wonders. The rocky coastline and the verdant mountains rising sharply in the center of the island are often spectacular. Wildflowers and blossoms decorate roads and forest. The pink sunrises and blood red sunsets over the Pacific are breathtaking. White clouds line the horizon and pile up billowing in the blue sky. Mists and rain clouds shroud the tops of the mountains. When the moon has set, the night sky is black and entirely filled with stars.
The island's forests are not virgin. Hundreds of years ago, most of its ancient trees were cut for lumber. The stumps remain everywhere, often uncorrupted and covered with moss or sprouting other trees, including second and third-generation cedar - Nidai and Sandai Sugi - in the continually regenerating forest. The few remaining cedar trees over 1000 years old are termed yakusugi and each is revered and has been given its own name. The largest, was called the Jomon sugi, was estimated to be between 2100 years old (based on a core sample) and 7200 years old (based on its size).
The pristine yakusugi forests were an inspiration for acclaimed animator Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 epic Princess Mononoke.
Because of the remoteness and difficulty of the terrain, there are relatively few tourists. Those who do come come to walk the forests. The well-trod hiking trails are entirely free of garbage. Visitors need to continue to ensure that no waste is left behind.
Human activity being a relatively small part of island life, there is abundant wildlife, notably a large deer and monkey population which goes about its life unconcerned by any humans in the vicinity. Wild monkeys should not, of course, be approached. Unlike some places where monkeys and humans interact, Yakushima monkeys are not fed by residents or tourists and so do not approach cars or persons for food. Don't feed the monkeys and this happy state of affairs will continue.
There are a few bilingual English/Japanese information signs on the hiking trails and in museums. As always the tourist information centers, particularly in Miyanoura, are extremely helpful although English may not be spoken.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Yakushima
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Yakushima - updated Apr 2024
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Yakushima Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
