Newsletter September/October 2009

Although shops on Yakushima are rather basic, all the necessities can be found in one of the stores. Here’s the shopping delights. MIYANOURA Large supermarkets LIFE CENTER YAKUDEN  ライフセンターヤクデン Close to the port, across the road from the Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Center. It has a little bit of everything

The following documentaries 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

You would be surprised how difficult it is to find flat land in Yakushima. There are however a selection of parks – some of which are below:  YAKUSHIMA COMPREHENSIVE NATURE PARK, Miyanoura Features: Next to Miyanoura river, wandering wildlife and fireflies Miyanoura Recreational Park ANBO PARK, Anbo Features:  Fields for

MACAQUES Yaku monkeys are smaller than the native macaques of mainland Japan. They are dark grey and have long thick hair. Before getting 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.

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: YODOGAWA HUT Yodogawa hut lies 45 minutes from the trail entrance You can stay the night here and get up early for a

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