Yakushima: A Visitor's Guide

Yakushima Orientation

2013-03-17T16:19:00.000+09:00

Welcome to yakumonkey.com - the guide to Yakushima island, Japan. You'll find in this site information on Yakushima much of which you won't find anywhere else in English.

This is because I've lived and breathed Yakushima as a crew member on a flying fish boat, as a Yakusugi craftsman, battered by typhoons, sucked by leeches, lounged with giant turtles and chased by monkeys. The good news is that the experience that I've gained from all of this I've put together in a comprehensive guide book on Yakushima so packed with information that any visitor would be at a distinct loss without it. It includes:

All possible ways of getting to and getting around Yakushima with full details, up-to-date prices, timetables, website and contact details.
A huge variety of accommodation with sections on the mountain huts, campsites, and all kinds of other accommodation with prices ranging from ¥1,700 to ¥18,000 a night.
The select Food and drink section covers most of the restaurants on Yakushima and also includes bakeries and bars.
Waterfalls, rivers, beaches, parks, hot springs, museums and just about any place you could want to visit on the island are detailed and explained.
15 hiking trails from gentle strolls to major expeditions, including the trail to Jomon Sugi and Miyanoura dake, have their own individual maps and full details of each route.

'Yakushima: A Yakumonkey Guide' is now available!
25% off until 31 January 2012. Coupon Code: LULUBOOKUK305

Click the cover below to see a preview of the first 11 pages and the back cover.

Where can I store my luggage?
What time's the last bus?
What's the weather like in May?
Where can I stay for free?
Where can I rent a tent?
What are the local specialities?
When can I see the turtles?
Where can I go snorkelling?

All these and many more questions are answered inside!

Here's what people who have bought it have said about the book...

I'm just back from Yakushima, and thank you for your guide, which was really useful for the trip. Fantastic place too!
Alexandre Morin, France

I'm just back from a week in Yakushima and thanks to your book I had a great time! saw and ate a lot more than I would have without the guide.
Christian Rochford, France

I´ve got your book today and its really awesome.
Marcel Geese, Germany

Bought the book here in Tokyo thru Amazon.jp, it was delivered the next day and used it for our recent one week visit. my girlfriend kept saying she was going to get a Japanese guide on the island too but in the end, it's all we used and it worked like a charm...thks very much!
Yyonnx, Japan

Kudos to you, your passion really comes across in the book and it's helped fuel my excitement for visiting the island.
Patrick McMaster, Canada

It was thanks to your guide that we found great accommodation!
Troy Walter, Australia

Thanks for the hard work in putting the book together....it was really useful on our trip to Yakushima recently! I would have been lost without some of the tips and guidance sometimes...David Goodwin, Ireland

Anyway, now back to the website and Yakushima island, let's start with the basics...

Yakushima is a Japanese forested island at the top of the Ryukyu chain of islands and famous for its ancient cedar forests, high mountains and its status as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

The island is stunningly green with 90% forest and has over 40 mountains. There are several settlements around the island, none much larger than a village and none in the west where the UNESCO area extends to the sea. There are 13,585 people (6,665 men and 6,920 women) living in these settlements, the largest of which is Miyanoura in the north followed by Anbo in the east. Both of which officially lie in Yaku town, although in reality there is no such place.

This is the bustling metropolis of Miyanoura:　(Click to see from a live 24 hour camera in Miyanoura)

And this is an equally happening Anbo: (Click to see from a live 24 hour camera in Anbo)

There are around 7000 wild deer and about the same number of wild monkeys and they roam freely around the island. I can't think of a single day I haven't seen either somewhere around. At night deer calls are a very common sound almost anywhere.

Here's a map of the protected areas of Yakushima. The darker blue colour on the map below shows the UNESCO area, the light blue shows areas of special forestry protection and the pink is the national park. The rest is forest right up to the coastline.

To get your bearings when you look at the rest of the information - I've included a (well used and crumpled!) map in English: (Click to enlarge)

So take a look around, enjoy the delights of Yakushima and let me know what you think or ask a question in the comments section below.

View Larger Map

Winter hiking 2012

2012-01-23T00:20:00.004+09:00

The snow conditions so far this winter:

Shiratani Unsuikyo and the Kusugawa Trail

The following photo was taken on 7th Jan 2012 at Tsuji pass above Shiratani Unsuikyo. There was 3-4 cm of snow and no special footwear was needed up to that point.

Tsuji pass

Arakawa/Okabu Trail to Jomon Sugi

The following photos were taken on 6th Jan 2012 on the Arakawa/Okabu trail to Jomon Sugi.

The Arakawa Trail Entrance had 5 cm of snow.

The start of the Arakawa Trail

The Okabu trail Entrance had 5-10 cm of snow and from here onwards crampons were needed.

The start of the Okabu trail

The area around Jomon Sugi was accesible but had up to 40 cm of snow.

Jomon Sugi

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Environment-Tourism balance on Yakushima

2012-01-15T06:45:00.002+09:00

Yakushima seeks environment-tourism balance

YAKUSHIMA, Kagoshima Pref. — Yakushima Island off Kagoshima Prefecture in 1993 became the country's first natural site to be entered on UNESCO's World Heritage list, together with the Shirakami Mountain Range in northeastern Japan. Known for its many large cedar trees and hot springs, Yakushima is still enjoying a boom in tourism 18 years after registration.

The increase in the number of visitors,however, has caused the island's environment to deteriorate, and the local town government has been exploring ways to make tourism compatible with environmental protection.

The number of visitors to the famous Jomon Sugi cedar tree on the island's 1,396-meter Mount Miyanoura, the highest peak in the Kyushu region, reached about 90,000 in 2010, a threefold increase from 2000.

The number of daily visitors to the Jomon Sugi tops 500 for 40 days a year, mainly during the spring Golden Week and summer holiday seasons. The Jomon Sugi is the oldest and largest cedar tree on Yakushima Island, measuring 25.3 meters in height and about 16 meters in circumference at its widest.

Akio Manatsu, 56, who has guided tourists for more than 20 years on the island, said the area around the Jomon Sugi tree is crowded like a city street on days when about 1,000 people visit.

"Due to too many visitors,the wildwood atmosphere might have been destroyed," Manatsu said.

Members of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee visited the area in 1997 and pointed out that the roots of the cedar were more exposed than when the tree was designated as a World Heritage site.

Acting on the committee members' warning, local authorities established wooden steps at several points along the route to the Jomon Sugi cedar tree and also set up a viewing deck at a point some 12 meters away to prevent visitors from stepping on the cedar's roots. But visitors often trample the ground when they pass each other on the steps. A shortage of toilets has also become a serious problem for visitors.

Hidekazu Tsukada, who heads the town government's environmental policy division,is against a proposed expansion of sidewalks for tourists, saying the value of Yakushima as a World Heritage site will decline if more man-made structures are built.

"The number of visitors will increase if the footpaths are widened," he said.

The Yakushima municipal government is currently studying capping the number of daily visitors to the Jomon Sugi tree at 420.

In June 2010, the town government submitted to the municipal assembly a bill to require visitors to obtain advance permission to visit the Jomon Sugi area and pay a ¥400 charge. The bill was voted down, reflecting opposition from the local tourism industry worried about a decline in the number of tourists to the island. The then mayor of Yakushima intended to file a revised bill with the assembly but lost the mayoral election in October 2010.

Hiroshi Onodera, a professor of environmental science at state-run Kagoshima University, called for restarting discussions from the beginning to rethink the island's future course. If the town government can diversify the concentration of visitors from specific seasons, it would be beneficial for the island's economy, said Onodera, who previously worked at the Environment Ministry.

Source: The Japan Times: 01/01/12

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Protecting the Yakutanegoyo

2011-10-02T07:00:00.002+09:00

White pine trees among symbols of Yakushima

The Yomiuri Shimbun

YAKUSHIMACHO, Kagoshima--The late Fumiko Hayashi wrote in her novel "Ukigumo" (Floating Clouds) that it rained "35 days in a month" on Yakushima island, 60 kilometers south of Kyushu.

The island is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for its rainy weather and yakusugi cedar trees that are more than 1,000 years old. But, according to a leader of a local volunteer group, Yakushima also is home to other symbolic trees.

These are yakutanegoyo, a species of Japanese white pine, which only grow in the wild on Yakushima and Tanegashima islands, according to Kenshi Tezuka, leader of the volunteer group overseeing the white pines on Yakushima.
However, yakutanegoyo are in danger of extinction. Because of pest damage and excessive logging after World War II, the number of trees has declined to about 2,000 on Yakushima and 300 on Tanegashima.

The volunteer group led by Tezuka, 58, was formed in 1999 to share information about yakutanegoyo and promote their protection.

Since then, in cooperation with its counterpart on Tanegashima, the volunteer group has been trying to record the location, diameter and height of every single yakutanegoyo tree on Yakushima. The group has also been labeling each of them and mapping their locations.

On Yakushima, the white pine trees grow naturally in only three areas between 300 meters and 1,000 meters of elevation. These areas are rubble-covered ridges and rocky cliffs.

"[Yakutanegoyo] grow slower than red and black pines," said Seiichi Kanetani, a chief research fellow at the Kyushu branch of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute. "Since the flora on Yakushima is diverse, they probably lose out to other plants in the growing process and can only grow naturally in places where there are no other plants."

Kanetani, 42, studied yakutanegoyo in graduate school at Kyushu University. He met Tezuka, and they formed the volunteer survey group. A total of 948 group members participated in 118 surveys and located the 1,896 pine trees on the island. The survey data has been utilized at the research institute.

"The end of the distribution survey is already in sight," said Tezuka. However, he is concerned that a significant number of the white pine trees at higher elevations recently died. He suspects the deaths might be directly related to cross-border pollution from China.

"I will keep asking the government to designate [yakutanegoyo] as a national natural monument and will try to clearly have it recognized as another symbol of the island," Tezuka said.

(Sep. 21, 2011)

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Hiking guide to Jomon Sugi - when to visit

2011-07-11T19:45:00.004+09:00

The following is a guide to choose the best time to hike to Jomon Sugi. It is based on visitor numbers from previous years and is to help avoid adding to the queues of hikers on the trail. If at all possible visit outside of the busy periods so that you can experience the forest as it should be experienced and not standing in line behind groups of colourful aging tourists!
You can download the PDF below:
Guide to Visiting Jomon Sugi, Yakushima

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Hiking in Yakushima article: Globe & Mail

2011-06-06T17:47:00.002+09:00

Is It Safe to Travel in Japan I d Like to Take a Hiking Trip -

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Hiking in Japan article

2011-06-06T17:47:00.000+09:00

Is It Safe to Travel in Japan I d Like to Take a Hiking Trip -

New flights from Fukuoka

2011-01-25T04:30:00.003+09:00

The recent JAL expansion program means that they are going to fly to and from Yakushima directly from Fukuoka starting summer 2011. So Yakushima will soon be directly accessible from Kagoshima, Osaka and now Fukuoka.

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Filling in Yakushima's blanks - an article from the Daily Yomiuri

2010-12-09T05:52:00.002+09:00

Filling in Yakushima's blanks: Mapping remote island's wild, lush mountains a 5-decade quest

by Akiko Yoshinaga (Yomiuri Shimbun)

"The moss is much paler than usual. It hasn't rained much, so maybe it's not getting enough moisture," Itsuo Ota, 69, said as he felt the moss growing along a mountain path on Yakushima island, Kagoshima Prefecture.

Ota has been revising and refining a map he made of the island's mountains for decades, and cares deeply about any changes to the natural environment.

On the day he examined the moss, Ota was at Shiratani Unsuikyo ravine, 1,050 meters above sea level in the northern part of the island. Huge cedar trees, estimated to be about 300 years old, towered around and it was so quiet one could hear the sound of a faint breeze. Ota has walked the mountains of Yakushima for nearly half a century. "This island has innumerable things that show how strong and precious nature is," he said.

Ota took a job with a power company on the island after graduating from high school in Kitakyushu in 1960. At the time, he thought of Yakushima as a remote island with nothing to offer, and he returned home after only six months.

The following year he started at a heavy industries firm in Fukuoka. A colleague there invited him on hiking trips and he started going regularly. Eventually, he joined an alpine club focusing on the mountains of Kyushu and with them traveled to explore Yakushima.

He walked deep into the island's mountains for the first time in 1963 with two other club members on a hike following the the Shoji ridge, hitting 12 peaks along the way. At the time there were no good maps of the area, so the group had to find the way on their own, bushwhacking.

As he walked, Ota felt privileged to be seeing scenery only a select group of climbers had gazed upon. "This inspired me to make maps for mountains that didn't have any," he said.

He trained in the Northern Japanese Alps and other mountains so he could climb peaks as high as 1,500 meters on Yakushima island. Ota spent his summer vacations walking alone on the island, carrying a notebook and pencil and taking notes when he found large trees or slopes in the path that would make good landmarks.

During one winter trip, he almost got lost on a mountain after becoming disoriented in a blizzard. On another occasion, he fell while climbing a sheer cliff, tumbling more than 10 meters and breaking some ribs. He accumulated more than 80 notebooks, with some pages unreadable from rain and sweat.

After 10 years, his investigations were published as a map in 1972 by Shobunsha Publications, Inc. His map of Yakushima's mountains details walkable climbing routes and warns about places one should be careful of when it rains.

Even after the map was published, Ota revised it almost every year by continuing to explore the island's mountains during summer and winter vacations. He strives to make it more complete and ensure the routes he recommends are safe for hikers.

Worrying about his jewel

In 1995, Ota took early retirement at age 54 and moved to Yakushima. Soon after, people began asking him to show them around the island he knows every inch of. He eventually got licensed by the Japan Mountaineering Association and started a second career as a guide.

Yakushima was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1993, but Ota worried the island's natural beauty would be damaged by new flocks of tourists. His anxiety has proved to be well founded. On holidays, the trail to the famous Jomon Cedar is crowded with tourists, and some places have been worn bare as the thousands of hiking boots have exposed the roots of the trees.

Ota knew that to conserve the island, a new generation who understood the diversity and value of Yakushima would be needed. In time, he started training younger guides.

Yoichi Yamakawa, a Japanese Alpine Club board member, called Ota a true Yakushima specialist. "He's investigated the mountains on his own two feet and continues to do amazing work," Yamakawa said.

Fifteen years have passed since Ota moved to the island. His wife joined him just six years ago. He is still a frequent visitor to the mountains, though he stopped guiding in the spring. He is now devoted to writing a book on island's fauna and flora.

"I hope the book will serve as a foundation for future conversation efforts on the the island," he said. Ota thinks of the project as a way to repay the island that gave him a purpose in life.

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Yakushima Deer cull

2010-10-13T15:54:00.009+09:00

Deer cull planned to save flora

The Yomiuri Shimbun, 13 Oct 2010

The Environment Ministry, the Forestry Agency and local governments are planning a large-scale cull of deer on Yakushima island in Kagoshima Prefecture to counter the threat the animals pose to native plant species.

The growing population of yakushika, a species of deer native to Yakushima, is eating and damaging plants on the island, which is designated a World Natural Heritage site.

Despite culls that have taken place on privately owned land, where the deer have damaged agricultural crops, their population island-wide has continued to increase.

A scientific committee on Yakushima island's World Heritage areas has been set up by the ministry and other concerned authorities, and an expert panel will soon meet to discuss practical steps towards solving the problem.

No deer-control measures have thus far been taken with regard to the World Heritage areas on the island, which account for about 20 percent of its total area.

The island is famous for its Yakusugi cedar trees, each of which is at least 1,000 years old, and also boasts the tallest mountain in the Kyushu region, the 1,936-meter Mt. Miyanouradake.

The island's natural environment is characterized by its diverse flora, with species originating from a wide range of climates, from subtropical to subarctic. Many species are native to the island.

But in places where the deer population has increased, the animals' impact is marked. The number of pteridophytes has drastically decreased and athyrium yakusimense, a native bracken species, is believed to have gone extinct. Phaius flavus Lindl and other orchid species are also now rarely seen.

The Yakushimacho local government has stepped up culling efforts in response to the animals' damaging local specialty crops, such as ponkan citrus, tankan citrus and tea.

In the first half of this fiscal year, the local government captured about 480 deer. It will likely exceed its annual goal of 700 deer, but animal experts predict culls at that level will not be sufficient to cause the deer population to decline.

Prof. Tetsukazu Yahara, an ecology researcher at Kyushu University, said the increase can be partly attributed to the decline of the forestry industry, which means fewer people live and work in forests and thus fewer deer are hunted.

The abundance of grass along sunny forest roads is another factor, said Yahara, who heads the scientific committee on the island's World Heritage areas.

The committee's expert panel comprises five specialists in the field, including Yahara, in addition to representatives of the local community.

The panel is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Kagoshima on Friday.

The panel will divide the island into three areas: a western zone, where deer habitats are the densest; an eastern zone, where damage to plants is becoming increasingly serious; and a southern zone, where there has been no remarkable change.

The panel will decide on the best method and timing for deer culls in each of the three zones, as well as ways to protect plant life from further harm.

Experts reckon the number deers culled annually will be between 1,000 and 2,000.

"Like global warming, the damage is getting worse, and it'll soon be too late to do anything. The only option is to control the deer population preemptively," Yahara said.

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Farewell to the Old Man of the forest

2010-09-14T06:18:00.005+09:00

Anyone who has taken the Okabu trail from the logging railway on their way to Jomon Sugi would have come across a grand old tree called Okina Sugi (翁杉). It was thought to be around 2000 years old and was hidden beneath a coat of thick green moss. Here is what it looked like a week ago:

And this is what it looked like last weekend:

As you can see, it completely collapsed. The bottom of the trunk had become 90% hollow and was finally unable to hold the weight of the tree above it. Some time during the night of the 9th-10th September 2010 it split at a height of 3 metres and promptly shattered into pieces as it hit the forest floor on the opposite side to the trail.

A fond farewell then to the Old Man whose branches hung over many an exhausted hiker.

Yodogawa Trail closed

2010-07-07T03:15:00.011+09:00

1. NEW: From 25th November 2010 for 2 weeks the Miyanoura Tozando bridge will be closed for repairs and hikers therefore cannot use the Yodogawa Path to climb Mt.Miyanoura.

Miyanoura Tozandou, the bridge metres away from Yodogawa hut, has been closed due to damage sustained during rainy season. As can be seen from the pictures below, the base has been exposed and has become unstable.

For those hikers who wish to go to Mt.Miyanoura, take the Arakawa trail or Shiritani to get to the Okabu trail and then go past Jomon sugi or take the much longer trails via the Ishizuka trail from Yakusugiland, the Kurio or Yudomari trails via Hana-no-ego marsh or Nagata or Hanayama trails (This is where my book comes in handy). The easiest would be via the Okabu trail but all trails will take longer than one day so go with the right equipment.

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Yakushima Newsletter May 2010

2010-05-03T07:32:00.000+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter May 2010

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Part of BBC Earth documentary on Yakushima

2010-05-03T06:37:00.005+09:00

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Recent Articles on Yakushima

2010-04-25T04:07:00.004+09:00

The environment-tourism balance on Yakushima

Here is an article from the Daily Yomiuri about the man who mapped Yakushima: Filling in Yakushima's blanks

And here are two articles on Yakushima from the Japan Times. The first is a profile of Rainer, a long time resident of Yakushima, who apart from the bees and honey, runs a small campsite and guesthouse in Onoaida and is listed in the accommodation section on the site (www.eu-guesthouse-in-yakushima.net).

The second article is more general and talks about the film 'Ukigumo', the rainfall, the forest and ends up being a thinly veiled advert for Sankara, a newly opened resort which bears remarkable similarities to the previously over-priced luxury resort on exactly the same site.

Article on Rainer - The Japan Times

The Glories of Yakushima - The Japan Times

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Yakushima Newsletters 2010

2010-03-20T09:40:00.003+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter May 2010

Yakushima Newsletter April 2010

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Yakushima Newsletter April 2010

2010-03-20T09:40:00.000+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter April 2010

The first Sea turtle of 2010

2010-03-20T05:56:00.003+09:00

The first sea turtle landing of 2010 was confirmed in early March in Nagata. This is more than a month earlier than last year and is the earliest recorded sighting ever.

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Arakawa Trail reopens 19th Feb

2010-02-19T06:43:00.004+09:00

Previous post: Arakawa Trail blocked

The detour route has finally been secured around the area of the landslide and the Arakawa trail reopens from the Arakawa trailhead on 19th Feb.

The detour trail veers off for 400m and consists of some wooden steps and rope. Bear in mind that it will add another 15 mins to the hike.

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Temporary Road Closure to Yakusugiland, Arakawa & Yodogawa Trails

2010-02-18T07:40:00.005+09:00

The road to Yakusugiland (which is also the road to the Arakawa and Yodogawa trailheads) is closed at its Anbo end between 8 pm and 4 am until 5th March 2010. This is to make necessary repairs to the road.

If you're planning to head up the mountain between these times, go up the Shiratani route from Miyanoura.

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Snowfall in Yakushima Winter 2010

2010-02-07T00:18:00.007+09:00

In mid Jan snow fall at Yodogawa trailhead was at 15-20 cm.

The Yodogawa Hut was surrounded by 20-30 cm of snow and reached -3℃.

Hana-no-ego Marsh has been under 30-40 cm of snow and with wind chill reached -15℃.

The snow was recorded at 30 cm around Wilson Stump (pictured below) in mid January and at 40-50 cm further along the trail at Jomon Sugi.

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Arakawa Trail blocked

2010-01-26T17:30:00.008+09:00

A recent landslide has blocked the Arakawa trail 2 km from the trailhead. It occured on the morning of Saturday 24/01/10 and has covered the railtrack trail making it impassable.

It is around 20 m wide and 7 m high and will obviously take some time to remove. In the meantime, a temporary path is being created and should be in place mid-February.

The Arakawa trail is the most used route to get to Jomon Sugi but other alternatives are the Kusugawa trail or the Yodogawa trail.

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Camping on Yakushima

2009-10-18T01:48:00.005+09:00

Yakushima offers a selection of campsites around the coast ranging from virtually no facilities to cabins and open air hot tubs.

Much more information about each campsite has been included in the book but I have listed the bare bones of each place below.

Nagata: Nagata Inagahama Camping Place Tel: 452380

Price per night - 800 yen

Isso: Yahazu Camping Place Tel: 420100

Price per night - free

Miyanoura: Kairakuen Camping Place Tel: 420269

Price per night - 800 yen

Kusugawa: Tento Mura Kusu Kusu Tel: 421667

Price per night - 700 yen

Anbo: Banyamine Camping Place Tel: 463210

Price per night - 500 yen

Onoaida: www.eu-guesthouse-in-yakushima.net

Price per night: 800 yen

Hirauchi: Yakushima Youth hostel Tel: 473751

Price per night - 840 yen

Kurio: Yakushima Youth Travel Village Tel: 482871

Price per night - Adult: 400 yen, child (under 6) 300 yen

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Newsletter September/October 2009

2009-09-07T03:24:00.002+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter September and October 2009

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New direct flights: Yakushima to Osaka

2009-09-06T00:33:00.006+09:00

YAKUSHIMA - OSAKA

Transport to Yakushima was until very recently exclusively through the city of Kagoshima but Yakushima has begun a daily direct flight to Itami, Osaka.

A 74 seater DH8-Q400 will take passengers between Itami, Osaka and Yakushima on the following daily schedule:

Yakushima 11.20 - Osaka 12.45

Osaka 13.15 - Yakushima 14.45

Prices: Adult One way: 34,000 yen / Adult Return: 62,200 yen

More details on www.jal.co.jp

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Newsletter Archive

2009-08-06T18:20:00.005+09:00

Yakumonkey Newsletter Archive:

NEWSLETTER MAY 2009

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2009

NEWSLETTER JULY 2009

NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2009

NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009

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Low tides in Yakushima

2009-08-06T17:54:00.016+09:00

The following consists of monthly charts of low tides in Yakushima. Low tides are useful to know especially for activities like bathing in Hirauchi Seaside onsen or snorkelling in Kurio.

DECEMBER 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

NOVEMBER 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

MAY 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

APRIL 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

MARCH 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

FEBRUARY 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

JANUARY 2010: (Click on the picture to see)

DECEMBER 2009: (Click on the picture to see)

NOVEMBER 2009: (Click on the picture to see)

OCTOBER 2009: (Click on the picture to see)

SEPTEMBER 2009: (Click on the picture to see)

AUGUST 2009: (Click on the picture to see)Return to home page

Newsletter August 2009

2009-08-06T05:21:00.002+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter August 2009

Newsletter July 2009

2009-07-03T04:47:00.002+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter July 2009

Newsletter June 2009

2009-05-18T05:59:00.006+09:00

Yakushima Newsletter June 2009 Yakushima Newsletter June 2009 www.yakumonkey.com

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape yakumonkey yakushima

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Newsletter May 2009

2009-04-13T01:31:00.004+09:00

Here is the Newsletter for May 2009. If you would like to receive future newsletters by e-mail please sign up on the right.

Yakushima Newsletter May 2009 Yakushima Newsletter May 2009 for www.yakumonkey.com

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape yakushima

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Yakushima Videos

2009-04-12T02:22:00.006+09:00

The following Videos are available to watch here on Yakushima:

* Part of a BBC series called Secret Wilderness which comes to Yakushima

* 'Yakushima no Yamashi mori ni ikiru': an NHK documentary called which follows Takada Hisao, a local man from Anbo, and his work in the forest collecting yakusugi trunks.

* 'Tanken Roman World Heritage': an NHK documentary/TV show on hiking in Yakushima.

* Youtube Yakushima Channel: all my Yakushima videos in one place.

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Yakushima Youtube Video channel

2009-04-11T21:53:00.006+09:00

The following screen is my Youtube channel including all the Yakushima videos on this site in one place (click on 'twobitsonrice' below):

'Yakushima no Yamashi mori ni ikiru' documentary

2009-04-11T21:13:00.015+09:00

Below is an NHK documentary called 'Yakushima no Yamashi mori ni ikiru' which follows Takada Hisao, a local man from Anbo, and his work in the forest collecting yakusugi trunks. It is split into 5 parts for Youtube.

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'Tanken Roman World Heritage' documentary

2009-03-30T23:14:00.011+09:00

Below is an NHK documentary/TV show on hiking in Yakushima showing much of the island. It is split into 5 parts for Youtube.

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Shiratani Unsuikyo Road closure

2009-03-27T19:43:00.002+09:00

The road up to Shiratani has been worked on for the past few years almost constantly. It has always been dangerous with tight bends and narrow lanes but the widening work has improved it a lot.

The live camera in Miyanoura faces the mountain road - Look at the mountain in the distance above the bridge.

There has however been landslides damaging the road and access is now restricted. The road is open between 8 am and 5 pm from March 1st to July 31st.

After this time the repairs are expected to be completed. Also if there is heavy rainfall (continuous rainfall of 100 mm or more) be warned that the road will be closed.

Have a plan B just in case.

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The Guide book Page

2009-03-26T21:51:00.009+09:00

On this page you will find updates to the current information in Yakushima: A Yakumonkey Guide. If you come across any information which has changed or is incorrect, please let me know in the comments section below.

Changes:

1. Changes in the Matsubanda Bus Timetable:
Matsubanda, the company which runs one of the two bus companies on Yakushima has decided to revise their timetable in March 2009. (A month after the publication of my book. Grrrr!)

There are therefore changes to some of the bus timetables at the back of the book, but only the shaded Matsubanda sections not the Yakushima Kostu buses. Thankfully it was only a few of the mountain routes which changed and they can be found here in this link: Matsubanda bus timetable

2. Relocation of Andes hiking supplies store - Andes has moved to the main road coming into Anbo on the left (opposite the gas station).

3. A new coin laundry has opened in Hara next to the gas station.

4. New direct flight route between Yakushima and Osaka

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Bus Timetable Changes

2009-03-26T17:23:00.017+09:00

There are two bus companies on Yakushima: 'Yakushima Kotsu' and 'Matsubanda'. Matsubanda has just revised its timetable in March 2009 and changed some of the bus times as detailed in my book.

*Please note the following important changes to the Matsubanda timetable* (The shaded timetable in the guide book)

To Yakusugiland/Kigensugi:

Miyanoura to Yakusugiland/Kigensugi bus route
Bus stop	Old	New
Miyanoura Port Entrance	12.51	12.41
Miyanoura	12.53	12.43
Koseda	13.07	12.57
Airport	13.21	13.01
Town hall	13.24	13.12
Anbo	13.29	13.17
Yakusugi Museum	13.35	13.23
Arakawa Junction	14.00	13.48
Yakusugiland	14.05	13.53
Kigensugi	14.23	14.11

The returning bus is the same as in the book at 15.53.

To Shiratani Unsuikyo:

There is an extra bus in the morning at 11.20 (see below) and there is no longer a bus at 16.00 from Miyanoura.

Shiratani Unsuikyo bus route
Bus stop	New
Miyanoura Port	11.20
Miyanoura Port Entrance	11.22
Miyanoura	11.24
Mori-no-tenbodai	11.38
Kumo-no-tembodai	11.41
Shiratani Unsuikyo	11.50

From Shiratani Unsuikyo:

All three Matsubanda buses have changed their times (due to the early evening road closure) as follows:

Shiratani Unsuikyo bus route
Bus stop	Old	New
Shiratani Unsuikyo	10.00	9.30
Kumo-no-tembodai	10.09	9.39
Mori-no-tenbodai	10.12	9.42
Miyanoura	10.26	9.56
Miyanoura Port Entrance	10.28	9.58
Miyanoura Port	10.30	10.00

Shiratani Unsuikyo bus route
Bus stop	Old	New
Shiratani Unsuikyo	15.00	12.00
Kumo-no-tembodai	15.09	12.09
Mori-no-tenbodai	15.12	12.12
Miyanoura	15.26	12.26
Miyanoura Port Entrance	15.28	12.28
Miyanoura Port	15.30	12.30

Shiratani Unsuikyo bus route
Bus stop	Old	New
Shiratani Unsuikyo	17.00	16.00
Kumo-no-tembodai	17.09	16.09
Mori-no-tenbodai	17.12	16.12
Miyanoura	17.26	16.26
Miyanoura Port Entrance	17.28	16.28
Miyanoura Port	17.30	16.30

From Arakawa Trail Entrance:

There is now an extra bus from Arakawa Trail Entrance to Miyanoura as follows:

Arakawa Trail bus route
Bus stop	New
Arakawa Trail Entrance	16.30
Arakawa Junction	16.44
Yakusugi Museum	17.09
Anbo	17.15
Town Hall	17.20
Airport	17.31
Koseda	17.35
Miyanoura	17.49
Miyanoura Port Entrance	17.52

The rest of the Matsubanda timetable appears the same as printed in the guide book. Should you come across anything different please let me know in the comments section below.

Remember the changes only apply to the Matsubanda bus timetables not the coastal routes/mountain routes of the larger Yakushima Kotsu bus service.

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The Eclipse

2009-03-23T20:03:00.005+09:00

A total eclipse of the sun on Yakushima will begin on July 22nd 2009 at 9.37am. The sun will be completely eclipsed between 10.55-11.00am and the whole process will finish by 12.23pm.

The numbers of visitors to view this in special areas on Yakushima have been restricted to 4,500 and applications for access to the island finished on the 27th Feb. The 'winners' were drawn by lottery on March 20th.

In practical terms what this means is that from July 19th to July 25th access by ferry and jet foil is controlled by the town hall. If you do not have permission, you cannot board during these dates.

The plane however is not controlled and should you wish to take a day trip or if you have connections on the island who can provide you accommodation it is possible to fly there during these dates. Without evidence of fixed accommodation however it will be difficult.

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Arakawa Trail Entrance Shuttle bus

2009-03-23T19:59:00.001+09:00

The Arakawa Trail Entrance Shuttle bus.

The stretch of road between Arakawa junction and the Arakawa Trail Entrance is closed to traffic and walkers between May 2th and 5th for 4 days and July 7th and Sept 22nd for 67 days. The only way you can get to the Trail entrance is by shuttle bus, organised coach or taxi.

By taxi: Taxis need a special 'ticket' which costs 250 yen and without it will not be allowed up.

By bus: A shuttle bus will run from Yakusugi museum to Arakawa Trail Entrance and will cost (one way)1000 yen for adults and 500 yen for (Elementary School) children. If you intend on returning on the bus you must purchase two one-way tickets prior to travelling.

Both of the above tickets for the taxi and bus can only be bought the day before at the following places:

Airport Tourist Information Centre [Tel: 49-4010] Open 8.30am - 6pm
Miyanoura Tourist Information Centre [Tel: 42-1019] Open 8.30am - 5pm
Anbo Tourist Information Centre [Tel: 46-2333] Open 8.30am - 5pm
Yakusugi Museum [Tel: 46-3113] Open 9am - 6pm
Yakushima Environmental Culture Village Centre [Tel: 42-2900] Open 9am - 6pm

If you don't use the ticket, you can get a refund. One half of the ticket is retained and is a coupon for use in Yakushima (so don't throw it away!)

Shuttle bus Timetable:

From Yakusugi museum car park: 6 buses - 4.45am, 5am, 5.15am, 5.30am (connects with the Matsubanda bus), 5.45 am (connects with the Yakushima Kotsu bus), 6am.

From Arakawa Trail Entrance: 13 buses - 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 3.45pm, 4pm, 4.15pm, 4.30pm (connects with the Matsubanda bus), 4.45pm, 5pm (connects with the Yakushima Kotsu bus), 5.15pm, 5.30pm and 6pm.

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Yakushima: A Yakumonkey Guide

2009-03-22T18:07:00.025+09:00

Yakushima: A Yakumonkey Guide is now available to buy. It was published in Feb 2009 so the information should be as up-to-date as possible. Details of the book are below including current prices where known.

It is packed full of essential information for visiting Yakushima. Inside includes:

All possible ways of getting to and getting around Yakushima with full details, up-to-date prices, timetables, website and contact details.
A huge variety of accommodation with sections on the mountain huts, campsites, and all kinds of other accommodation with prices ranging from ¥1,700 to ¥18,000 a night.
The select Food and drink section covers most of the restaurants on Yakushima and also includes bakeries and bars.
Waterfalls, rivers, beaches, parks, hot springs, museums and just about any place you could want to visit on the island are detailed and explained.
15 hiking trails from gentle strolls to major expeditions, including the trail to Jomon Sugi and Miyanoura dake, have their own individual maps and full details of each route.

You can see the first 11 pages at lulu.com.

Buy it now at lulu.com with distribution centres in the US (for North America), the UK and Spain (for Europe) and Australia currently at these prices: $15.38/£10.95/ €12.23. 25% off
Coupon Code: LULUBOOKUK305 Expires 31 January 2012

Buy it in Japan at amazon.jp.

Or order it from any good bookstore worldwide!

Here's what people who have bought it have said about the book...

I'm just back from Yakushima, and thank you for your guide, which was really useful for the trip. Fantastic place too!
Alexandre Morin, France

I'm just back from a week in Yakushima and thanks to your book I had a great time! saw and ate a lot more than I would have without the guide.
Christian Rochford, France

I´ve got your book today and its really awesome.
Marcel Geese, Germany

Bought the book here in Tokyo thru Amazon.jp, it was delivered the next day and used it for our recent one week visit. my girlfriend kept saying she was going to get a Japanese guide on the island too but in the end, it's all we used and it worked like a charm...thks very much!
Yyonnx, Japan

Kudos to you, your passion really comes across in the book and it's helped fuel my excitement for visiting the island.
Patrick McMaster, Canada

It was thanks to your guide that we found great accommodation!
Troy Walter, Australia

Thanks for the hard work in putting the book together....it was really useful on our trip to Yakushima recently! I would have been lost without some of the tips and guidance sometimes...David Goodwin, Ireland

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Equipment Rental in Yakushima

2009-03-21T05:44:00.010+09:00

The following are examples of the prices for renting equipment in Yakushima:

Climbing gear - price based on a rental of 3 days/2 nights

Hiking boots: 1000 yen
Gore-tex hiking boots: 1500 yen
Small backpack: 500 yen
45l backpack: 1000 yen
60l backpack: 1500 yen
Mountain Tent: 1500 yen (1 person), 2500 (2 person)
Mountain sleeping bag: 1500 yen

Camping supplies - price based on a rental of 2 days/1 night

Tent: 500 yen (1 person tent), 1000 yen (2 person tent)
Sleeping bag: 500 yen
Mat: 500 yen
Gas cooker: 500 yen
Gas lantern: 500 yen

Water activities equipment

Snorkel: 1300 yen
Fins: 1200 yen
Boots: 300 yen
Wetsuit: 1300 yen
Snorkelling set: 2500 yen (3 items)
Life jacket: 800 yen

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Temperatures in Yakushima

2009-03-19T21:46:00.015+09:00

The following table gives annual temperatures for Yakushima in degrees Celsius. It can however be quite deceptive as in the summer with high humidity it can get appallingly hot and in the winter, teeth-chatteringly cold.

Below the table are the temperatures at each of the mountain huts (very important information if you intend to stay the night) which vary from the chart considerably.

www.yakumonkey.com
Month	Average Temperature	Maximum Temperature	Minimum Temperature
Jan	12.3	15.3	9
Feb	14.4	17.1	11.5
March	14.5	17.5	11.6
April	20.2	23.7	17.1
May	22.8	25.6	20.2
June	24.3	27.3	21.6
July	27	30.8	23.6
Aug	28	32.2	24.2
Sept	26.4	29.6	23.6
Oct	23.3	26	20.6
Nov	18.7	21.6	15.6
Dec	15	17.7	12.2

There are however variations on the above depending on how high you are on the mountains.

The general rule is that for every 100m you climb the temperature decreases by 0.6 degrees C. This means that you should allow for the following temperature changes in the mountains:

At Jomon Sugi (1300m) the temperature is 7.8 degrees below the temperatures in the above table.

At the summit of Mt.Miyanoura (1936m) it is 11.6 degrees below.

At Shiratani Unsuikyo (825m) it is 5 degrees below.

At Takatsu hut (1330m) it is 8 degrees below.

At Shintakatsu hut (1460m) it is 8.8 degrees below.

At Shikanosawa hut (1550m) it is 9.3 degrees below.

At Yodogawa hut (1380m) it is 8.3 degrees below.

At Ishizuka hut (1600m) it is 9.6 degrees below.

Click here for more details about the weather on Yakushima.

Click here for details about the levels of snow in winter.

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Yakushima Maps

2009-03-16T17:53:00.014+09:00

Here are a selection of maps of the main villages on Yakushima:

MIYANOURA:

Download a PDF version:

ANBO:

Download a PDF version:

ONOAIDA:

Download a PDF version:

KOSEDA:

Download a PDF version:

HIRAUCHI:

Download a PDF version:

KURIO:

Download a PDF version:

Updates

2009-03-01T05:17:00.067+09:00

January 22nd 2012 - Current snow levels on hiking trails

January 14th 2012 - Japan Times article on the environment-tourism balance on Yakushima

November 4th 2011 - New accommodation lists

September 25th 2011 - Protecting Yakushima's White Pine tree

July 11th 2011 - A guide to hiking to Jomon Sugi - choosing when to go

June 6th 2011 - Article on hiking in Japan & Yakushima

January 24th 2011 - New flights planned from Fukuoka this summer

November 9th 2010 - Yodogawa path closed due to bridge repairs from 25th Nov 2010

November 8th 2010 - Low tides for November updated

October 13th 2010 - Planned deer cull on Yakushima

September 13th 2010 - Okina Sugi, one of the great Yakusugis, collapses

September 3rd 2010 - The Yodogawa Trail will remain open until 17th October

August 13th 2010 - MOS Burger opens in Anbo in Yakushima

August 12th 2010 - Opening of the Yodogawa trail extended to 26th September

July 19th 2010 - Yodogawa trail reopened 14th July to 15th August

July 6th 2010 - Yodogawa trail closed

May 3rd 2010 - May 2010 Newsletter

March 25th 2010 - Low Tide Times added for April 2010

March 20th 2010 - April 2010 Newsletter

March 19th 2010 - The first Sea Turtle of 2010 arrives in Yakushima

February 18th 2010 - Arakawa trail reopens on 19th Feb

Februrary 17th 2010 - Temporary road closure to Yakusugiland

February 6th 2010 - Update on winter snowfall on Yakushima

February 5th 2010 - February & March Low Tide times in Yakushima have been added.

January 26th 2010 - Arakawa Trail blocked by landside

December 13th 2009 - December and January low tide times added

October 17th 2009 - New campsite in Kusugawa near the Kusugawa trail entrance
September 6th 2009 - September/October 2009 Newsletter is now available
September 5th 2009 - News of the Direct Daily Flight between Osaka and Yakushima

August 6th 2009 - Low Tide times for Yakushima have been added. Also Newsletter Archive to find all the newsletters in one place.
August 5th 2009 - August 2009 Newsletter is now available

August 5th 2009 - Ocean View Campsite in Miyanoura (detailed in the June Newsletter) now accepts tents of your own for 800 yen (youch!) per person.
July 8th 2009 - Yakushima: A Yakumonkey Guide is now available to buy on Yakushima. It can be found in the Trail Store at Yakusugiland and also at some of the larger souvenir shops. There are also copies to be found at Kashima Kougei in Anbo.
July 2nd 2009 - July 2009 Newsletter is now available

May 17th 2009 - June 2009 Newsletter is online.

April 12th 2009 - May 2009 Newsletter is online.

April 11th 2009 - New Yakushima Documentary. A fascinating NHK documentary. It is called 'Yakushima no Yamashi mori ni ikiru' and is on the working life of master woodsman, Takada Hisao, in the forests of Yakushima.

March 30th 2009 - Yakushima Documentary. I added an NHK documentary on Yakushima and logging Yakusugi. Great views of the island.

March 26th 2009 - The Guide Book Page has been created to provide any changes to information in the Guide Book. If you want to see if anything has changed in Yakushima recently (i.e. after the publication of the Guide Book) such as times, prices etc come here first.
March 24th 2009 - The new Matsubanda bus timetable has revised some of the timetable. Check here: Matsubanda bus timetable changes

March 23rd 2009 - The Guide book is now on amazon.jp. More information in the guide book section.
March 22nd 2009 - Miyanoura - Shiratani Mountain road is closed at night until the summer. More details: Shiratani Unsuikyo Road Closure

March 21st 2009 - Yakushima: A Yakumonkey Guide has finally made it to amazon.com. Strangely amazon have repriced the book to $23.50 but it is still available at lulu.com which has distribution centres in the US and the UK (for European distribution) and sells for $15.38/£10.95/ €12.23. So for now, if you are in North America, lulu.com is still the cheapest. Anyone out of these areas, the book is on its way to amazon.jp and other retail outlets soon. More information in the guide book section.
March 14th 2009 - The Asahi newspaper (March 6th) confirms speculation that there may well soon be an entrance fee to Yakushima:

Visitors entering Shirakami mountain range straddling Aomori and Akita prefectures are asked to contribute a "cooperation fee" of 300 yen per person.
A similar idea is being considered on Yakushima island in Kagoshima Prefecture. Local officials are thinking about a plan to charge an obligatory fee to pay for disposal of waste from toilets for tourists.

March 9th 2009 - more on the The Eclipse.
March 4th 2009 - Important information about the Arakawa Trail Entrance Shuttle bus.

March 1st 2009 - The Eclipse.

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A tour around the coastal road of Yakushima Part 2

2009-02-27T01:12:00.004+09:00

Onoaida: Look at an interactive live picture of Onoaida and Mochomu mountain HERE

Nakama beach:

Kurio rock pools:

Mangroves:

Shakunage park:

Oko-no-taki waterfall :

Seibu Rindoh forest Path:

Nagata river:

Inakahama beach:

Isso shrine:

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Yodogawa Trail

2009-02-18T10:55:00.000+09:00

The Yodogawa trail begins at the end of the long mountain road from Anbo. Full details in the guide but it leads to the following wonderful places:

-to the Yodogawa hut

-to Hana-no-ego highland marsh

-to Kuromi-dake (1831 m)

-to Miyanoura-dake (1935 m)

-to Nagata-dake (1886 m)

-and down towards Shin-Takatsu hut

Yakusugiland & Tachu dake

2009-02-18T09:30:00.001+09:00

Yakusugiland

Yakusugiland is the most accessible of all the trails on the mountain. There are a variety of paths to follow and they are divided according to their estimated duration. As the name suggests there are many yakusugi trees to see including Buddha sugi. All the paths are mapped and explained in my book including extra information on each tree but you do get the map above when you pay the entrance fee (¥300).

The 30 and 50 minute courses are wooden and stone walkways and are popular with less able tourists who want to get a taste of the forest. The 80 and 150 minute courses lead you over the bridge above and then the paths return to the forest floor and occasional wooden slats.

The 150 minute course meanders through the forest mostly climbing up and at the first rest hut there is a path signed to Tachu Dake.

-to Tachu Dake (1497 m)

The Tachu Dake trail is not as easy as it appears.

It is pretty much a hard slog upwards. At the top there are ladders and ropes to climb up and down so watch out for very windy days.

The view from the top is spectacular on a clear day. There is a large flat rock to sit on and look out eastwards to Anbo and the sea in the distance.

Arakawa Trail

2009-02-18T09:18:00.012+09:00

The Arakawa trail is the most used path as it goes past the famous Jomon Sugi:

It goes via the following places:

- to Kosugidani - an abandoned logging village beside the river.

Here is a short guide to the Arakawa trail up to here made by myself and George (who will kill me when he finds out I did actually upload it so enjoy it before he takes out a parental court case and removes both me and it from his home).

- to Wilson's Stump

- to the oldest tree of them all, Jomon Sugi:

-to Takatsuka hut (see the section on the mountain huts) - to stay.

It's a bit tough but Jomon Sugi and back again is a day trip. Most tourists start at an obscenely early time in the morning but that is only because they have to get back and bathed before dinner time in their hotel. I once did the return trip in 6 hours by myself but then again 12 hours with my family. The average is around 9 hours.

The path is incredibly monotonous in places - especially the railway track and in comparison with some of the other trees on the island which are less visited and more accessible (yet equally impressive), it's a bit of a let down. There are no sweeping views on the path so if it is cloudy and raining, despite the soggy waterproofs, it's still OK to hike. In fact, sometimes the forest is more beautiful in the rain. And unless you're particularly interested in the local flora and fauna, you don't need a guide as the path is unmistakable all the way.

Mochomu dake

2009-02-17T17:46:00.002+09:00

A tough hike is to scale the lump of rock that hangs over Onoaida called Mt.Mochomu. The path is usually very quiet and it can be slightly overgrown outside of summer but is easy to follow and there are great views from the top.

See live pictures of Mochomu from the live cam on the roof of JR hotel in Onoaida here.

The Kusugawa trail & Shiratani Unsuikyo

2009-02-17T17:06:00.012+09:00

See the updates section for details on recent access restrictions to Shiratani Unsuikyo via Miyanoura.

The timings and exact details of the trail are in the guide book but here are a few pictures and the basics.

This path begins at the coast and is signposted in English from the main road at the village of Kusugawa.

It takes 1-2 hours to hike up to Shiratani Unsuikyo and the trail is easy to follow as it was part of an Edo Period logging path.

Everytime I've been on along here, it has been virtually empty of people - only monkeys and deer.

-to Shiratani Unsuikyo

Shiratani can be reached via the Kusugawa path above or more commonly on the newly widened mountain road from Miyanoura.

Look at this link for the 24 hour interactive camera in Miyanoura and move it to face the mountains. The road you can see on the mountain is the road to Shiratani.

There is an entrance fee of ¥300 to get into the trail but you also get a map in English. See below. (Click the picture to enlarge)

The path follows the river for the first section of steps and walkways. The highlight here is 'Sasuga Otoshi' waterfall:

And the 3,000 year old Yayoi sugi:

Eventually there will be a choice as to whether you go straight on into the forest path or across a suspension bridge to the left. They both end up at the same place - across the bridge is the continuation of the Kusugawa path and is relatively flat and easy to traverse.

Straight on, the path meanders through rivers, over ridges, past old cedars, through marshes - it's not particularly difficult to hike through and the forest here is where you will get the kind of photos that you see in magazines and postcards about Yakushima. In the late afternoon particularly monkeys will be about and there are always deer.

Both the paths eventually meet at the foot of the path that heads up to the Shiratani hut, where you'll find a toilet and water to drink.

-to the Mononoke Hime forest (もののけ姫の森)

From here it is a short hike up to a sign saying 'Mononoke Hime forest' in Japanese. This is based on the animated movie - check out the section entitled 'the forest' in my posts. Behind is supposed to be the type of forest featured in the movie but it's a new creation for tired tourists who need a goal to walk to rather than a particularly beautiful piece of forest. If you took the 150 minute course to get there you would have seen far more beautiful sights.

-to Taikoiwa rock

The path then becomes steep for a while until you reach a forest opening with signs up to Taikoiwa rock. This is Tsuji pass.

From here it's only a matter of minutes but be warned it gets very steep. At the rock you are rewarded by sweeping views of all the interior mountains.

-Onwards

The trail then heads down towards the river should you wish to continue and eventually meets up with the railway path from Arakawa and is an alternative route to Jomon Sugi and Miyanoura dake.

Onoaida mountain trail to Janokuchi waterfall

2009-02-12T06:01:00.000+09:00

If it is raining up in the mountains and you have little time to wait a day or two for the weather to clear, this trail is the closest thing there is to the big mountain trails. It begins at Onoaida onsen and gently meanders through the forest for an hour before becoming more challenging the closer you come to the waterfall. You need to cross a few rivers and care should be taken in rainy season.

A tour around the coastal road of Yakushima Part 1

2008-11-14T21:31:00.008+09:00

When most people come to Yakushima they quite rightly head straight up the mountains but there's more than meets the eye to the overgrown vegetation that lines the coastal road.

The following is a selection of places which appear in the guide book.

Miyanoura Recreational Park:

Have a dip in the crystal clear water or spot the odd monkey in the trees on the opposite bank, bring a picnic and chill.

Yakushima Environmental Culture Village Center:

A museum with a cinema showing a documentary about the nature of the island.

Pillow-shaped Lava beach:

A collection of coloured lava rock formations to climb over.

Harutahama beach:

Jagged rocks with rock pools full of fascinating creatures.

Yakusugi Museum:

Inside it has displays about the forest and a branch from Jomon Sugi which fell off several years ago.

Kashima Kougei (鹿島工芸):

On the hill heading south of Anbo, soon after the turn off to the mountains, you'll find my favourite place to buy souvenirs. There's more details here but if you stop I'm sure they would be delighted.

Sarukawa Gajimaru:

This is a peaceful place to find the famous gajimaru or banyan trees. There shouldn't be many if any people and you can pretend to be Tarzan to your heart's delight.

Toroki-no-taki waterfall:

One of only 2 waterfalls in Japan to flow directly into the sea.

Senpiro-no-taki waterfall:

The waterfall flows on a spectacularly large chunk of granite and is a popular place to visit.

Yamanko yusui spring water:

Fresh mountain spring water with bamboo cups - forget bottled mineral water, this is the real thing.

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The hiking trails on Yakushima

2007-07-02T16:42:00.022+09:00

There are many beautiful hiking trails in Yakushima both long and short.

In my guide book (nudge! nudge!) I detail and map 15 different trails from all over the island - Yakusugiland, Shiratani Unsuikyo, Arakawa trail, Okabu trail, Yodogawa trail, Kusugawa trail, Onoaida trail, Mt.Mochomu trail, Mt.Tachu trail, Mt.Aiko trail, Yudomari trail, Kurio trail, Hanayama trail, Nagata trail and Yakusando trail (phew!). In this collection of walks there's something for absolutely everyone.

Many visitors are interested in one of the three key paths which head into the interior of the island to visit Jomon sugi and Mt.Miyanoura. You'll find a brief description of them in the links below. In great detail however (cough! cough!) in my guide book.

the Arakawa trail to Jomon sugi

the Kusugawa trail and Shiratani Unsuikyo

the Yodogawa trail to Miyanoura dake

(Click on the map to see it enlarged)

Other wonderful hikes:

Yakusugiland and Tachu dake

Mochomu dake

Onoaida Mountain Trail to Janokuchi Waterfall

More to come...

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The shops and services

2007-06-12T22:20:00.002+09:00

Although shops on Yakushima are rather basic, all the necessities can be found in one of the stores. Here's the shopping delights.

Miyanoura:

Yakuden:

Close to the port, across the road from the Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Center. It has a little bit of everything from electricals to clothes to vegetables.

Y Y Land:

Opposite the hospital on the main road south out of Miyanoura. Mostly food but has a hardware section. Good for buying a bento box lunch.

Koseda:

Drug Eleven:

Drug Eleven is a mainland chain store near the airport and is a large and well-stocked chemist. It also has a very useful 100 yen shop within it.

Some's:

A hardware store which also sells everything else. A very useful store.

Miyanoura/Anbo/Onoaida:

A-Coop:

A popular mainland supermarket chain - often discounted.

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The arts and crafts of Yakushima

2007-06-08T16:30:00.016+09:00

Yakusugi crafts:

Crafts made from Yakusugi wood are very popular souvenirs and there are many businesses offering hand-made chop sticks, bowls, vases, tables etc.

The oldest Yakusugi crafts business on the island is run by the Kashima family and is in its third generation. Their workshop and shop - called Kashima-Kougei 鹿島工芸 - is on the main road heading south from Anbo and is well worth the visit.

Don't be fooled by the modest buildings and shop - this has been the centre of Yakusugi craft-making for many years - many of the giant trees that have been made into furniture in the island's shops have come here first to be cut. The piles of giant trees and much of the work is usually out of sight, but take a look around at how the traditional work is really done. If their work load is not too busy, the Kashimas will show you how to make your own chopsticks or key ring.

Above is Kashima-san, a master craftsman who specialises in vases made from thousand year old trees. And below, his father, and the head of the business painstakingly preparing a wooden beam.

You couldn't meet more genuine, honest, friendly and open-minded people anywhere. If you want to support local business with impeccable ethical practices, give them a visit while you're there.

鹿島工芸 (Kashima-Kougei)

鹿児島県熊毛郡屋久町安房2402
891-4311

電話番号 0997-46-2613

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Restaurants on Yakushima

2007-06-06T21:28:00.004+09:00

Miyanoura:

Furusatoichiba The menu is a bit like a 'family restaurant' but it has a wide variety of food.

Koseda:

Il Mare - An authentic Italian restaurant as close as Yakushima gets to gourmet restaurant outside of the big hotels.

Aikotae - Lots of meat on the menu and does a steak set.

Anbo:

Sugi no chaya - a beautiful setting for a cafe/restaurant in the grounds of the Yakusugi museum.

Smiley - coffee and cake near the port

St.Pote - a river side bar/restaurant in Anbo, friendly, popular with young (ish) people and open till 1 am.

Yakudon - Serves flying fish among other local dishes.

Mugio:

Kitchen and Cafe Ose - HAS CLOSED

Onoaida:

Iwasaki Hotel - has an affordable lunch set which changes monthly. It's worth the trip just to see the tree growing inside the lobby.

Hirauchi:

Cafe Green Shower - On the main road at the Yudomari end of the village. Look for the rainbow flag. Part cafe and part gallery/shop. They serve an Indian curry set for 880 yen or organic coffee and fresh juices. NOW CLOSED

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The Mountain Huts

2007-06-06T20:11:00.003+09:00

There are 6 mountain huts on Yakushima's mountain ranges. All of them offer a dry place to sleep and a toilet but little else. Water can be found in the streams that run near to them and like all the rivers and streams in the higher mountains is crystal clear and safe to drink.

For the average monthly temperatures at each hut go to Temperatures in Yakushima.

The nearer huts: (the easiest to get to from the coast).

The Shiratani hut:

Sleeps: 40
Building structure: Reinforced Concrete
Altitude: 825m

This hut is less than an hour from Shiritani Unsuikyu car park. The toilet is actually inside which especially in summer can be an odour problem. It has an open area but also has three rooms with basic bunks. Like all the huts it's first come, first served. In summer it gets busy here as it's on one of the routes to Jomon Sugi and Mt.Miyanoura.

The Yodogawa hut:

Sleeps: 20
Building structure: Wooden building
Altitude: 1380m

The Yodogawa hut is on the opposite side of the mountains and can be reached via Anbo on the Yakusugiland road. It's less than an hour from the end of the mountain road on the Yodogawa trail. Because of this it's a very popular hut to stay in and is often packed with hikers who take the road up in the late afternoon and begin their hiking the following morning.

The higher huts:

The two huts around Jomon Sugi are popular places to stay after the long slog to get there. The nearest is...

The Takatsu hut:Sleeps: 20
Building structure: Concrete-block building
Altitude: 1330m

Followed by the Shintakatsu hut:

Sleeps: 40
Building structure: Wooden building
Altitude: 1460m

The second on is bigger and newer and is what most people head to.

The Shikanosawa hut:

Sleeps: 20
Building structure: Stone-built
Altitude: 1550m

The next hut is on the Nagata path not far from the from the summit of Mt.Nagata. The Nagata path is long and arduous and few people climb Mt.Nagata after climbing Mt.Miyanoura so the hut is usually quite empty.

The Ishizuka Hut:

Sleeps: 20
Building structure: Concrete-block building
Altitude: 1600m

This is on a path off Hana-no-eigo highland marsh or alternatively at the top of the rarely used path from Yakusugiland. Locals claim that it's haunted with the ghosts of an American bomber crew who crashed into the mountain during the war and is probably the least used of the huts.

An alternative to the huts if the weather closes in when around the high peaks, there are several cave like rock formations which provide shelter and some of them have plastic sheeting stored for emergencies.

For pictures of what it's like inside the huts look at this link:

http://www.realwave-corp.com/08climbing/03/index.htm

Very basic but strangely clean.

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Water activities

2007-06-06T20:06:00.009+09:00

Canoeing:

Anbo:

Canoes are a wonderful way to see nature.

You start here at Anbo...

...and head towards the mountains. The river is very beautiful after a few minutes paddling upstream and looks like this:

More details in the guide book and will be updated here soon.

Swimming:

You need to be cautious when swimming in the sea around the island as the current runs very near to the shore and would sweep you away in a second. There are areas around the island particularly suited to swimming:

Isso beach - is protected by a bay and has a lifeguard in summer who spends most of his time preventing bathers from going near the rocks. It's perfect for swimming but not snorkelling.

Haruta beach - Don't be deceived by the name - it's all rocks and petrified dead coral here. There is however a natural pool carved from the rock and is good for swimming.

Kurio beach - at the entrance of the port. Very safe for swimming.

Inakahama beach - There is a very strong current not too far from the shore. If you swim here, you need to do so with care.

Snorkelling:

Isso beach on the other side of the car park to where the beach is. Cross the small road that runs by the side of the main Isso beach carpark and there is a rocky bay. It is here that many of the diving companies come and there are wonderful fish.

Kurio coral beach can be reached right at the end of the track that runs through Isso campsite. There is a natural protective area to snorkel at the mouth of the river.

Haruta beach is also great for snorkeling but not where you may think. From the carpark walk across the small concrete bridge and the snorkeling area is to your left where the river flows into the sea. When the tide is in snorkel out a little way to where the rocks mark the end of the river mouth.

Check out low tide times before snorkelling.

Scuba diving:Isso beach - as mentioned above. To the right of the car park.

Kurio Coral beach on the right. Take the road to the left for snorkeling and right for scubadiving. There is a picture board to show you what fish are around.

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The climate

2007-06-05T12:56:00.011+09:00

Firstly - here's the weather forecast for Yakushima this week:

Despite what you may have read or heard - No, it doesn't rain all the time on Yakushima. The 35 days of rain a month quote that people like to use doesn't represent reality.

Around the coast there is as much sun as there are rain clouds and depending on the season there could go several weeks of droplet free, clear skies. When it does rain however - it pours down with a vengeance.

Click here for details on the average monthly temperatures in Yakushima.

The high mountains towards the centre of the island are much more prone to cloud and while it may be bright sunshine all around, the peaks are sometimes shrouded in mist.

The best place to be to avoid rain if it comes is the South West of the island as the mountain range behind is unbroken and offers some protection from the weather.

Most of the rain falls in Rainy season in June and Typhoon season begins in September with the potential to disrupt any travel plans. In the guide book you'll read about Typhoon 17 and its destuctive power but here is the arrival of a lesser typhoon to give you a taster.

Here is the link to the same Typhoon tracker website as in the video. See if one is heading to Yakushima at the moment.

For visiting in the winter visit snowfall on Yakushima

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The forest - an inspiration for Princess Mononoke

2007-06-04T21:25:00.005+09:00

'Princess Mononoke', the Studio Ghibli animation, was inspired by the thick forests of Yakushima. Just as art imitates life, so life imitates art and there is now an area called 'Mononoke's forest' on the Kusugawa trail just up from the Shiratani mountain hut which has become a major draw for tourists.

For anyone not familiar with the movie - here is the trailer.

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The creatures in the sea

2007-06-04T19:26:00.009+09:00

Here are some charts of common fish found in Japanese waters: (Click on them to make them bigger)

These are the type of fish swimming around the island and which can be seen snorkelling or scuba diving.

The seas around Yakushima benefit from the warm Kuroshiro current which brings a great variety of fish and sea creatures.

I know this first hand as I was a fisherman on a flying fish boat on Yakushima. The following picture shows the flying fish port and my boat is the closest to port with an orange buoy hanging from the mast. This is the 'Shige-maru' having just returned from battling with the East China Sea for a hold full of flying fish. There is a section in the guide book where I give the daily routine of a flying fish boat crew but suffice it to say - it's only for hardened folk.

To give you an idea about what is lying underneath the waves - here are some of the creatures that came up in the net when I used to work as a fisherman on a flying fish boat in the seas around Yakushima.

Flying fish:

They fly very gracefully just above the water to escape their enemies and can be found where two opposing sea currents meet. There are several kinds and you can tell which ones by their wings and size.

Loggerhead turtles:

It was rare that we pulled up a tiny baby turtle in our nets. Whenever it did happen though the captain tossed it back at the end of the catch and we watched it paddle West into the Pacific.

Dolphin fish:They eat the flying fish and have a rather nasty habit of throwing up rotten carcasses on the deck when caught. They can be up to two metres long. No relation to dolphins by the way.

Puffer fish:

They used to bounce around the deck like footballs.

Here's one that got caught under the other fish and I was too late to throw it back in.

Sea horses:

Sea snakes: Yes, sea snakes.

Sharks:Rare. But definitely there.

Coral Trigger fish:These look colorful and cute but are mean as hell and dislike anything that comes into close proximity to them. They tell you this by nipping at you and charging at your face. Watch out at Isso beach.

Leather Fish:

There I am still soaking wet, leatherfish in hand, just returned from fishing.

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The trees

2007-06-04T16:18:00.028+09:00

Some of the great cedar trees on Yakushima:

Jomon Sugi:

Height: 25.3 metres
Diameter: 5.22 metres
Trunk circumference: 16.4 metres
Age: 2600-7200 years old
Access: Okabu trail

Kigen-sugi:

Height: 19.5 metres
Trunk circumference: 8.1 metres
Age: 3000 years old
Access: Road to Yodogawa Entrance

Buddha sugi:

Height: 21.5 metres
Trunk circumference: 8.0 metres
Age: 1800 years old
Access: Yakusugiland.

Yayoi sugi:

Height: 26.1 metres
Trunk circumference: 8.1 metres
Age: 3000 years old
Access: Shiratani Unsuikyo.

There are of course many more trees well over 1000 years old which are not so well known but are included in the guide book.

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Onsen - hot springs

2007-06-04T16:18:00.027+09:00

Yakushima is blessed with several onsen or natural hot springs. They range from the deluxe hotel based baths to the free outside natural hot rock pools. So should you get the urge to strip off with a bunch of complete strangers, here's where to go.

Koseda:

Manten - This is part of an exclusive hotel opposite the airport. The bath includes use of a relaxation room with comfy massage chairs. The water is partly artificially heated though, so it's not as authentic as it seems.

Onoaida:

JR Hotel
- Another exclusive hotel. It's on the clifftop and there are great views of the sea from the huge onsen windows. There's a small outdoor section and all equipment - towels, soap, shampoo - are provided. Again partly artificially heated though.

Onoaida Onsen:

The onsen is at the start of one of the mountain trails which is really useful for on the way back. It has a foot bath outside for tired hikers, should you not wish to reveal all. It is run by a spectacularly unfriendly woman and the bath is rather basic - you need to bring everything with you and can also get busy as it is free to use for Onoaida residents. It is however natural and piping hot.

Hirauchi:

Seaside onsen:

Open: 24 hours Price: Free

You need to choose your time to take this onsen. There is a strict rule that bathers have to leave their clothes a few metres from the bath which can be embarrasing depending on who is around. Ladies should come equiped with a thin white towel to wrap around.

Yudomari:

Seaside onsen:

Open: 24 hours Price: 100 yen (in a donation box)

This onsen has more privacy and the male and female section has a bamboo screen between. There are toilets and changing rooms at the carpark.

There are several more natural and not so natural hot baths on Yakushima in the guide book.

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Hiking

2007-06-04T16:18:00.026+09:00

Almost everyone who comes to the island goes hiking at some point. If you don't have any walking shoes, or rain wear, or need a sleeping bag and a mat for an overnight stay in one of the mountain huts - don't despair. Just about anything you could want can be rented on Yakushima.

Rental hiking equipment:

Anbo:

Andes - a retail and rental outdoors store - just after the lights at the foot of the mountain road to Yakusugiland.

Miyanoura:

Nakagawa - on the main street in Miyanoura that sells and rents sporting and hiking gear.

Yakushima Kanko center close to the ferry port.

See Equipment rental for details of prices.

The essentials of hiking on Yakushima are:

1. A pair of boots with a firm grip and protection for your ankles.
2. A backpack.
3. Proper waterproof rainwear.

As for other equipment it depends on where and how long you hike. Even for day trips the following equipment is important:

- a map
- a water container
- warm clothes
- compass
- flashlight with spare batteries
- basic food provisions

Guide or No guide:

The next things you may think about is whether you need a guide or not. Lots of Japanese people will swear that you should have one and many people climb the mountains with one, despite the cost.

Apart from the fact that very few speak English, you don't really need one. (Especially with my guide book!! hint! hint!)

All the paths are clearly marked with small pink ribbons tied to trees and the really popular routes like Jomon Sugi and Miyanoura have steps and walkways. The benefit a guide brings is local knowledge of the flora and fauna and the paths and some security should there be a problem. The officially registered guides have two-way radios attached to their jackets, so if there is an accident help comes quicker.

The paths are generally safe and well made but can be slippery and treacherous sometimes even on the widely used paths. (check my video of the Arakawa trail and look at how narrow the bridges are). People unfortunately do die in the mountains and accidents are not that uncommon...

Oct. 23, 2008: German tourist dies on Yakushima

KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) A German tourist fell to his death Thursday after slipping off a walking trail into the Segire River on Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture, police said.

The police identified the tourist as Peter Schneider, 65.

Schneider and his wife were strolling along the trail by the river when he slipped and fell more than 10 meters into the river, the police said, adding his wife was unhurt.

He and his wife arrived at Yakushima Island on Wednesday for a sightseeing trip, the police said.

Phones can be used from the high mountains (from the top of Mt.Miyanoura, Mt.Nagata and the surrounding peaks, on the trail to Jomon Sugi and anywhere where you can see Tanegashima island) and hikers frequently come along. As long as you don't take undue risks and watch the weather (the worst is thick cloud or fog), there should in theory be no problem.

All hikers are supposed to fill in a form called 'Tozan todoke' and hand it in at the tourist information, town hall, port, airport, police station etc. This is so that should something nasty happen to you on the mountain, the rescue teams know where to look for you. You can download the form directly from here in the link below.

tozan todoke

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Travel How-To Guides & DIY hiking yakushima

The best map to buy either before you come or on the island is this one: Yakushima/Miyanoura dake

It's in Japanese but if you don't read Japanese it's still a great map. You just need to familiarize yourself with the main Kanji names using my book or any of the English maps available for free from tourist outlets. It is part of the popular Yamato-kogen series of maps.
　
If your browser reads it, this is it in Japanese: 山と高原地図屋久島宮之浦岳.

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Yakushima Food and drink

2007-06-04T16:17:00.004+09:00

The Food:

Tankan oranges:
Ponkan oranges:

Passion fruit:

Flying fish:

Just the smell of them now is enough to set the nausea wheels in motion (see creatures in the sea to find out why), but others insist how tasty they are.

The drink:

Mitake shochu:

So popular that to buy a bottle (one person, one bottle) you have to queue everytime the brewery delivers to the supermarkets.

Made from fermented sweet potatoes but despite the images that this may conjure up, it's actually quite drinkable. Best served on the rocks.

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The creatures in the forest

2007-06-04T16:16:00.026+09:00

Macaques:

Yaku monkeys are smaller than the native macaques of mainland Japan. They are dark grey and have long thick hair. Before you get carried away about the cute and fluffy creatures however - The most important points to remember about the Yaku macaques are that:
1. They are wild.
2. They have very large pointy teeth
There are around 7000 of them roaming the mountains and can often be seen along the side of the mountain roads and on the trails. Sometimes hanging around the villages watching traffic.

Deer:

Yaku shika are also smaller than the mainland deer and number around 7000. They can be seen on the mountain trails in the day and in the villages at night. Yes, that is one of my snowballs on its head.

See an article on the planned deer cull on Yakushima

Snakes:

The Mamushi: A poisonous viper that lurks near water.

Just to give you an idea of this delightful creature - my boss was bitten on the thumb and half his body was temporarily paralysed. Also a local resident in his 50s died from a bite. Spot it in the photo below.

But don't let that put you off the mountain trails - as soon as they spot you they slither away into the bushes.

Insects:

There are 3000 different species of insect on Yakushima. They are everywhere and often are much larger than many people are used to. If you don't like insects do yourself a favor and avoid the mountains.

The insects of note are:

Mukade:

Once found lurking in the trouser leg of my son's pyjamas, these are vicious little things and cause quite a swollen rash on the skin.

Hornets:Large kick-ass stinging machines which target you and don't stop until you're stung.

Beetles: Any size, shape and colour you could wish for.

Shake a tabu tree in the summer and watch giant horned beetles fall.

Spiders: A variety of strange looking spiders inhabit the forest.

Toads: surprisingly common on the mountain slopes.

Leeches:

A loyal bloodsucking friend to many hikers. They climb up your boot and find a nice piece of juicy leg above your sock line. They cause no harm to normal healthy people and can be left alone until they drop off filled with your blood. Should you need to remove them however, use salt.

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Accommodation

2007-06-04T16:16:00.025+09:00

This page is in the process of being updated and at the moment contains the bare bones of information on places to stay in Yakushima. It will include updates to the accommodation listed in the guidebook (where there are 16 budget, 15 mid range and 6 high end specially chosen accommodation options with prices, details, websites and the special things that the places offer like free tours, free mountain bikes, port pick-ups, free canoes etc)

NEW ACCOMMODATION LIST HERE

The cheapest:

1. The mountain huts - completely free! But at the more extreme end of accommodation options.

2. Campsites - see the camping page for more details.

3. Budget accommodation -

The North
民宿　春夏秋冬	42-1711	3,000
和の Cottage 仙の家	42-1006	4,200
民宿　とし	42-0462	3,675
素泊り民宿晴耕雨読	42-2070	3,500
素泊り民宿 Iwakawa	42-0747	3,000
Pension　八芳園	42-2558	4,200
民宿 Yakushima ８９（パーク）	42-0723	3,150
素泊民宿　Friendo	42-0891	3,150
宮之浦 Port side Youth Hostel	49-1316	3,200～
民宿 Happy	42-2878	2,500
民宿　Asaka	42-0148	2,000
民宿　華林 River-side	49-1826	3,600
民宿　愛舟	42-0882	2,000
素泊まり民宿　花ごよみ	42-1838	3,000
ライダーハウスとまり木	43-5069	2,000
Holiday House	43-5047	3,500
The South
パッション館	46-2744	3,780～
民宿　Ｓｕｎ林	46-4070	3,000
民宿　和楽	46-2303	3,150
民宿　松峯荘	46-3790	3,500
Business Hotel 仔馬	46-3405	3,800
Business Hotel Kashima	46-3208	5,300～
Nature Boy	46-3465	2,000～
民宿　花皐月	46-3687	3,150
素泊り民宿　里町	46-3249	3,500
素泊り民宿　南風	46-2385	2,800
素泊り民宿　彩海	46-3682	3,150
民宿　湖畔	46-2700	3,500
民宿　きほうどう	46-3338	2,800～
民宿　恵比須	46-2885	3,000～
民宿　福	46-2979	3,000～
民宿　一軒屋	46-2146	3,000
Daichan House	46-3565	2,600
民宿　四季	46-3809	3,500
海泉茶屋 Bungalow	47-3322	1,500～
民宿　平内屋	47-2320	1,600

The guest houses above are cheap. Some of them are on the main road, are very small but some very nice. If you're on a really tight budget and you like using sign language (if you don't speak Japanese) - they are the cheapest option!

4. The youth hostels - not necessarily the cheapest but ever popular.

Hirauchi Youth hostel

Portside Youth Hostel in Miyanoura

5. Mid priced accommodation -

Nagata:

Marine Blue - on the turtle beach

Tsuwanoya

Koseda:

Yakushima airport hotel - business hotel next to the airport

Anbo:

Morinokokage - clean log houses.
Mori no hidamari - basic dorms.

Manmaru guest house - Motel-like rooms with bathing hut

Daichan house - Stay in a Mongul hut!

Onoaida:

Chinryuan

Yudomari:

Yakushima Cottage - wooden cabins on the clifftop.

6. The high end hotels -

The JR Hotel on the clifftop in Onoaida. Sea views and has an onsen.
Iwasaki Hotel - A giant hotel just south of Onoaida with a tree growing in the lobby.
Manten across the road from the airport. Has an onsen.

The Green Hotel in Anbo. Has a hot stone therapy spa.
The Seaside Hotel - A large hotel in Miyanoura near the port.

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Moving around Yakushima

2007-06-04T16:15:00.015+09:00

Getting around the island:

By car:
Most tourists choose to rent a car for convenience and there are many car rental outlets on the island. Mostly near the airport and ports. Here are a selection. Local companies are cheaper than the national ones.

All sites are in Japanese, I'm afraid.

Matsubanda Rentacar

Orix Rentacar

Toyota Rentals

San Paulo Rentacar

Suzuki Rentals

Mazda Rentacar

Nippon Rentacar

Kamiyama Rentacar

Anbo Shinjima Rentacar

Niizato Rentacar

The Youth Hostel in Hirauchi also rents cars.

By bus:

I have removed the old bus timetables as they are now out-of-date. The new Yakushima Kotsu and Matsubanda bus routes and times bear little relation to the old timetables. At the moment all of the times and routes of both bus companies are in the guide book until I manage to transfer them here:

There is a coastal route bus which runs every 40 mins-1 hour:

Nagata - Oko-no-taki waterfall (North to South) route starts at 7.30 am

Oko-no-taki waterfall - Nagata (South to North) route starts at 6.44 am from Kurio.

There are 3 mountain route buses which run from March 1st to Nov 30th:

Shiratani Unsuikyu - Miyanoura route starts at 8.00 am.

Miyanoura - Anbo - Yakusugiland - Yodogawa mountain trail route starts from the town hall at 9.16 am.

Arakawa trail entrance (To Jomon Sugi) north and south routes start at 4.45 am.

The high season shuttle bus to Arakawa

On May 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th and from July 18th to September 22nd (2009) there is a shuttle bus running between Yakusugi museum and the Arakawa trail entrance for 1000 yen. At those times you will not be able to drive up and park at the car park entrance. This is to reduce the impact of visitors and drivers have to park in the museum car park and take the bus up.

More details in the updates section.

And here is a chart of the bus prices for those routes (in yen) although there now exists a 'Free Pass' on the Yakushima Kotsu bus (more details in the book):

Miyanoura - Yakusugiland - Kigen sugi (Yodogawa mountain trail)
							Miyanoura port
						Miya- noura	130
					Airport	490	510
				Prefecture hall (Anbo)	380	760	780
			Anbo	130	410	790	810
		Yakusugi museum	220	260	550	910	930
	Yakusugi land	590	720	750	1,000	1,310	1,330
Kigen sugi	300	800	910	940	1,180	1,470	1,480

Nagata - Anbo - Oko-no-taki
									Nagata
								Isso	510
							Miya- noura Port	500	890
						Airport	510	870	1,210
					Prefecture Hall (Anbo)	380	780	1,110	1,420
				Anbo	130	410	810	1,140	1,440
			Ono aida	630	660	920	1,250	1,530	1,840
		Hirauchi	300	830	860	1,100	1,410	1,690	2,000
	Kurio	490	690	1,160	1,180	1,390	1,700	1,980	2,290
Oko no taki	260	650	850	1,280	1,310	1,520	1,820	2,110	2410

	Arakawa Trail Entrance
Miyanoura Port	1,380
Miyanoura	1,360
Airport	1,070
Prefectural Hall (Anbo)	830
Anbo	800
Makino	770

	Arakawa Trail Entrance
Hirauchi seaside Onsen	1,390
Hirauchi	1,340
Onoaida	1,190
Mugio	1,030
Takahira	970
Haruta	790

	Shirtani Unsuikyu
Miyanoura Port	530
Miyanoura	500
Kami Yakucho Town hall	480

By scooter:Scooters can be rented at these places (Sites in Japanese) :

Motorbike Rentals
Name	Place	Tel	Engine
Suzuki Rentals	Miyanoura	42-1772	50cc,125cc
You Shop 南国	Anbo	46-2705	50cc,125cc
Kamiyama Rentacar	Anbo	49-7070	50cc
Yakushima Youth Hostel	Hirauchi	47-3751	50cc

By bicycle:Mountain bikes are easy and cheap to rent in Miyanoura and Anbo. If you are so inclined, it takes around 8 hours to circumnavigate the island.

In the guide book there are details about a ¥800 mountain bike rental scheme whereby you can drop of a rented bike at various points around the island. (No need to return the way you came!)

The sites in the following chart are in Japanese:

Bicycle Rental
Name	Place	Tel
Yakushima 観光 Center	Miyanoura	42-0091
寺田 Rentacar	Miyanoura	42-0460
Rentacycle島いとこ～	Miyanoura	42-1680
Yakushima Youth Hostel	Hirauchi	47-3751

By taxi:

Hikers often use taxis to take and collect them from the mountain trails in the early hours of the morning and late afternoon.

Taxis
Name	Place	Tel
Yakushima 交通 Taxi	Anbo	46-2321
	Miyanoura	42-0611
	Onoaida	47-2018
Anbo Taxi	Anbo	46-2311
Matsubanda交通 Taxi	Miyanoura	42-0027
Matsubanda交通 Taxi	Anbo	46-3900

Hitchhiking:It is not an uncommon site to see hitchhikers and many people pick them up due to the bus situation. It does depend on the time of day and the weather though as to how long you stand by the road.

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Transport to and from Yakushima

2007-06-04T16:14:00.032+09:00

Getting to/from the island:

NEW DAILY DIRECT FLIGHT OSAKA - YAKUSHIMA

NEW DIRECT FLIGHT FUKUOKA - YAKUSHIMA

Most transport to Yakushima comes via Kagoshima city.

By airplane:

1. Via Kagoshima:

JAL operates a JAC propellor plane 5 times a day from Kagoshima airport and the flight takes around 25 mins. The route south flies over Sakurajima volcano and offers wonderful views.

One way: 13,900 yen

Return: 26,500 yen

Current schedule: (subject to seasonal changes - check their website for details)

www.yakumonkey.com
Kagoshima	Yakushima
08.20	08.55
10.20	10.55
13.00	13.35
15.00	15.35
17.00	17.35

www.yakumonkey.com
Yakushima	Kagoshima
09.20	09.50
14.00	14.30
15.10	15.40
16.00	16.30
18.00	18.30

Japan Air Commuter(JAC) tel:0120-51-1283

http://www.jac.co.jp

Yakushima airport: 0997-42-1200

2. Direct flight from/to Osaka.

Transport to Yakushima was until very recently exclusively through the city of Kagoshima but Yakushima has begun a daily direct flight to Itami, Osaka.

A 74 seater DH8-Q400 will take passengers between Itami, Osaka and Yakushima on the following daily schedule:

www.yakumonkey.com
Yakushima	Osaka (Itami)
11.20	12.45
13.15	14.45

Prices: Adult One way: 34,000 yen / Adult Return: 31,100 yen

More details on www.jal.co.jp

By Jetfoil:

1. The Cosmo line ‘Rocket’ jetfoil :

This jetfoil was started in 2004 in direct competition with the 'Toppy' jetfoil.

Single: 6,500 yen Return: 11,600 yen

www.yakumonkey.com
Kagoshima	via	Yakushima
9.10		11.00
12.20		14.10
15.40	Tanegashima	18.20

www.yakumonkey.com
Yakushima	via	Kagoshima
7.25	Tanegashima	10.05
12.00		13.50
15.40	Tanegashima	18.20

Check site for up-to-date timetables

http://www.cosmoline.jp

2. The ‘Toppy’ jetfoil :

Single: 6,500 yen Return: 11,600 yen

www.yakumonkey.com
Kagoshima	via	Yakushima
7.30	Tanegashima	10.30
7.45	Ibusuki	09.45
10.20	Tanegashima	13.00 (Anbo)
13.10		14.55
15.50	Tanegashima	18.30 (Anbo)

www.yakumonkey.com
Yakushima	via	Kagoshima
7.00 (Anbo)	Tanegashima	09.35
10.00	Tanegashima	12.40
10.45		12.30
13.30(Anbo)		15.30
16.20	Tanegashima Ibusuki	19.15

Check site for up-to-date timetables

http://www.toppy.jp

Toppy sales offices:
Kagoshima: 099-223-4251
Miyanoura: 0997-42-0034
Anbo: 0997-46-3399

If there is bad weather and the wave height goes over 3 metres both jetfoils may be cancelled. Be prepared. The rocket is more prone to cancellation than the toppy. But both are cancelled on a regular basis and a refund is given. If they are cancelled due to bad weather, try the ferry as it often still runs when the jetfoils are cancelled or take the plane which rarely cancels.

By Ferry:

1. Ferry Yakushima 2 :

www.yakumonkey.com
Kagoshima	Yakushima	Kagoshima
08.30	12.30
	13.30	17.40

(2nd class) Single: 5,200 yen Return: 8,200 yen

(Golden Week [28th April - 7th May] & Obon [5th August -15th August] - Return: 10,400 yen)

Tel: 099-226-0731

http://www.f2.dion.ne.jp/~orita.k/

The ferry is large and comfortable and provides a carpeted area to lie down. If you have the time, it is the best way to arrive.

2. Ferry Yakushima Maru

www.yakumonkey.com
Kagoshima	Yakushima	Kagoshima
07.00	10.55
	12.00	16.00

Single: 3,200 yen Return: 6,400 yen

Tel: 099-261-7000

www.yakushimaferry.com

This has replaced the Hibiscus ferry service which finished at the end of 2008.

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A short video documentary on Yakushima

2007-06-03T22:54:00.007+09:00

The following is part of an NHK documentary on the nature of Yakushima:

More videos of Yakushima can be found here: Yakushima videos

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