Mountains · Kagoshima
Miyanoura-dake
宮之浦岳みやのうらだけMiyanoura-dakeThe roof of Kyūshū, rising from the cedar forests of Yakushima.
Miyanoura-dake (宮之浦岳), 1,936 m, is the highest mountain in Kyūshū, rising at the centre of the island of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture. Its granite summit ridges rise above ancient Yakusugi cedar forests in one of the wettest places in Japan, and the island is a natural World Heritage site.
Overview
Yakushima is a round, mountainous island about 60 km south of the Kyūshū mainland, and Miyanoura-dake stands at its centre among a group of peaks known as the Okudake (inner peaks), several of them over 1,800 m. The summit is not visible from the coast, which is why islanders traditionally distinguished the coastal Maedake (front peaks) from the hidden Okudake.
The ascent leads from subtropical coast through the evergreen forests and moss-covered Yakusugi cedar groves to a subalpine zone of bamboo grass and granite boulders – a transition often compared with travelling from southern Japan to Hokkaidō in a single day. The island's forests and mountains were among the first sites in Japan inscribed as natural World Heritage in 1993.
Landscape and formation
Yakushima is a block of granite that intruded into older sediments about 14 million years ago and has been rising rapidly ever since, producing mountains close to 2,000 m on a small island. Erosion has shaped the granite into rounded domes and giant tors such as the Tōfu-iwa on Kuromi-dake and the rock pillars of Nagata-dake.
Moist air from the Kuroshio current rises against the mountains and produces extraordinary rainfall, which feeds countless streams and waterfalls and supports the moss forests.
Highlights
Summit
宮之浦岳山頂Miyanoura-dake sanchōA granite dome with views over the Okudake peaks and, on clear days, the sea on all sides.
Jōmon Sugi
縄文杉Jōmon sugiThe island's largest known Yakusugi cedar, estimated at several thousand years old, on the Arakawa trail.
Hanano-egō
花之江河HananoegōA high moor at about 1,640 m on the route from Yodogawa, Japan's southernmost high wetland.
Kuromi-dake
黒味岳Kuromi-dakeA 1,831 m side peak with a granite summit and one of the best views of Miyanoura-dake.
Nagata-dake
永田岳Nagata-dakeA 1,886 m neighbour with dramatic granite towers.
Ecology
Yakushima's vertical range compresses Japan's vegetation zones into one mountain: subtropical plants at the coast, warm-temperate evergreen forest, cool-temperate cedar and fir forest, and on the summit ridges a dwarf bamboo grassland with endemic miniature plants. Many species on the island are smaller than their mainland relatives, often called "Yaku" forms.
Flora
Yakusugi
屋久杉yakusugiJapanese cedars over 1,000 years old growing on the island's mountains, slow-growing and rich in resin.
Yakushima-shakunage
ヤクシマシャクナゲyakushima-shakunageAn endemic rhododendron flowering pink and white on the summit ridges in late May and June.
Yakuzasa
ヤクザサyakuzasaA dwarf bamboo grass that covers the treeless summit area.
Fauna
Yakushika
ヤクシカyakushikaA small subspecies of sika deer endemic to Yakushima and Kuchinoerabu-jima.
Yakuzaru
ヤクザルyakuzaruThe Yakushima macaque, a subspecies of the Japanese macaque.
Culture
For islanders the Okudake were the home of the gods. In the Take-mairi (mountain pilgrimage), a custom still practised in several villages, representatives climb to the peaks behind their village in spring and autumn to pray and to bring back sacred rocks or sand. In the Edo period the Satsuma domain exploited the Yakusugi, and shingles cut from the great cedars were paid as tax; the stumps of trees felled centuries ago, such as the Wilson Stump, are still visible in the forest.
Wilson Stump
ウィルソン株Wiruson-kabuThe hollow stump of a giant cedar felled in the late 16th century, named after the botanist Ernest Wilson, on the Arakawa trail.
Yakusugi Museum
屋久杉自然館Yakusugi shizenkanA museum on the cedars and their history of logging and protection.
History
Edo period
The Satsuma domain begins large-scale logging of Yakusugi.
1914
Ernest Wilson surveys the great stump that now bears his name.
1964
Yakushima is included in Kirishima-Yaku National Park.
1993
Yakushima is inscribed as a natural World Heritage site.
2012
Yakushima National Park is established as a separate park.
Through the seasons
Spring
Rhododendrons flower on the summit ridges from late May; the rainy season starts in late May or June.
Summer
Hot and humid at the coast; typhoons can close trails and ferries. The summit is cool.
Autumn
Often the most stable hiking season, from October into November.
Winter
Snow falls on the summit – the southernmost regular snow in Japan – and the high routes become serious undertakings.
Routes and trails
Yodogawa route
From Yodogawa trailhead via Hanano-egō, Nagata-dake junction and Kuromi-dake views to the summit; about 5 hours up and 4.5 down, long but not technical.
Arakawa route via Jōmon Sugi
Along the forest railway and up through the cedar forest to Jōmon Sugi and on to the summit; usually a two-day trip with a hut night.
Miyanoura-dake traverse
Yodogawa – summit – Shin-Takatsuka hut – Jōmon Sugi – Arakawa, two days; the classic crossing of the island's heart.
Practical notes
- Private cars are barred from the Arakawa trailhead for much of the year, when shuttle buses serve it, and some areas levy a conservation contribution; check the Yakushima town and prefectural sites for current rules.
- Huts are unstaffed; carry food, a stove, a sleeping bag and portable toilet bags.
- Heavy rain can swell streams rapidly and make crossings impassable.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to climb Miyanoura-dake?
From the Yodogawa trailhead at about 1,370 m, the round trip takes 9–11 hours. Most hikers start before dawn; others make a two-day traverse via the Jōmon Sugi and the Arakawa trail with a night in an unstaffed hut.
How wet is Yakushima?
Extremely: the mountains receive among the highest rainfall in Japan, and people say it rains "35 days a month". Rain gear is essential even on a fine forecast.
Can the Jōmon Sugi be combined with the summit?
Yes, as a traverse: from Yodogawa over Miyanoura-dake to the Jōmon Sugi and down the Arakawa trail, usually with a night at the Shin-Takatsuka hut. It is a long, demanding trip.
How is Yakushima reached?
By high-speed ferry or ferry from Kagoshima, or by air from Kagoshima, Fukuoka or Osaka.
Related
Sources
- 1.日本の主な山岳標高 (opens in a new tab) — 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
- 2.Yakushima (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 3.屋久島国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
- 4.鹿児島県ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 鹿児島県 (Kagoshima Prefecture)