Kagoshima · Town
Yakushima
屋久島町やくしまちょうYakushima-chōAn island of rain, moss and thousand-year-old cedars
Yakushima is a town in Kagoshima Prefecture that covers the island of the same name and neighbouring Kuchinoerabu-jima, a mountainous, rain-soaked island of ancient Japanese cedars that became one of Japan's first natural World Heritage sites in 1993.
Overview
Yakushima lies about 60 kilometres south of the tip of the Ōsumi Peninsula, a nearly round granite island some 500 square kilometres in size that rises abruptly from the sea to 1,936 metres at Miyanoura-dake, the highest peak in Kyushu. Warm, moist air from the Kuroshio current meets these mountains and produces extraordinary rainfall; a line attributed to the novelist Hayashi Fumiko says it rains here thirty-five days a month.
The island's vegetation changes with altitude from subtropical coastal forest to cool-temperate forest and dwarf bamboo on the summits, a vertical range compared to the length of Japan. Above about 600 metres grow the yakusugi, Japanese cedars more than a thousand years old, slowed by the nutrient-poor granite into dense, resinous giants. The most famous, Jōmon Sugi, is the goal of a long day hike. The island's inner mountains form Yakushima National Park and the World Heritage property.
The town was formed in 2007 by the merger of Kamiyaku and Yakushima towns. Its settlements – Miyanoura, Anbō, Onoaida, Kurio, Nagata, Issō – line the coast road around the island, and fishing, citrus farming and tourism sustain the economy.
Landmarks
Jōmon Sugi
縄文杉Jōmon SugiThe island's largest known cedar, over 16 metres in girth, reached by a long round-trip hike along a former forest railway and mountain trail.
Shiratani Unsuikyō
白谷雲水峡Shiratani UnsuikyōRavine of moss-covered rocks, streams and old cedars above Miyanoura, with trails from an hour's walk to a full day.
Yakusugi Land
ヤクスギランドYakusugi RandoForest recreation area above Anbō with loop trails of different lengths past ancient cedars.
- 宮之浦岳Miyanoura-dake
At 1,936 metres the highest peak in Kyushu, among granite tors and bamboo-grass meadows.
Ōko Falls
大川の滝Ōko-no-takiAn 88-metre waterfall on the west coast, falling almost directly beside the coastal road.
Senpiro Falls
千尋の滝Senpiro-no-takiWaterfall pouring beside a huge granite slab above the south-east coast.
Nagata Inakahama
永田いなか浜Nagata InakahamaBeach on the north-west coast that is one of the most important loggerhead turtle nesting sites in the North Pacific; nesting and hatching are observed under local rules.
Yakusugi Museum
屋久杉自然館Yakusugi ShizenkanMuseum near Anbō on the cedars, the forestry history and the island's ecology.
Districts
Miyanoura
宮之浦MiyanouraMain port and largest settlement on the north-east coast, start for Shiratani Unsuikyō.
Anbō
安房AnbōPort on the east coast and base for the Arakawa trailhead to Jōmon Sugi and for Yakusugi Land.
Onoaida
尾之間OnoaidaSouthern village with a public hot spring and a milder, subtropical climate.
Nagata
永田NagataNorth-western village of the turtle beaches and a long sandy shore.
Kuchinoerabu-jima
口永良部島Kuchinoerabu-jimaVolcanic island west of Yakushima, part of the town and the national park, reached by municipal ferry.
History
Yakushima appears in Japanese chronicles from the seventh century. In the Edo period, under Satsuma, the island paid its taxes in cedar shingles, and large-scale logging of yakusugi began; the scholar-monk Tomari Jochiku is traditionally credited with encouraging it to relieve the islanders' poverty. Stumps from that era still stand in the forest. In 1708 the Italian missionary Giovanni Battista Sidotti landed secretly on the island, was arrested and taken to Edo, where his interrogation by Arai Hakuseki informed the scholar's writings on the West.
Modern forestry continued into the twentieth century, but growing concern for the old-growth forests led to protection as a natural monument and later a national park. The Jōmon Sugi was reported in 1966, making the island famous, and World Heritage inscription followed in 1993. Neighbouring Kuchinoerabu-jima, part of the town, is an active volcano whose 2015 eruption forced the evacuation of all its residents for several months.
Edo period
Under Satsuma, cedar logging expands and yakusugi shingles are used to pay taxes.
1708
The missionary Giovanni Battista Sidotti lands on Yakushima and is arrested.
1914
The botanist Ernest Wilson surveys the forest; a giant hollow stump is later named after him.
1964
Yakushima becomes part of Kirishima-Yaku National Park.
1966
The giant cedar Jōmon Sugi is reported and quickly becomes widely known.
1993
Yakushima is inscribed as a natural World Heritage site.
2005
The turtle-nesting beach of Nagata-hama is designated a Ramsar wetland.
2007
Kamiyaku and Yakushima towns merge to form Yakushima town.
2012
Yakushima National Park becomes a separate national park.
2015
An eruption on Kuchinoerabu-jima leads to the evacuation of all residents.
Culture
Island culture centres on mountain worship. In the take-mairi (mountain pilgrimage), villagers climb to the sacred peaks in spring and autumn to pray at small shrines and bring back sprigs of rhododendron or bamboo grass, a practice revived in several settlements. Each village is associated with a particular summit. Wood from fallen or long-dead yakusugi – living trees may not be felled – is carved into bowls, trays and ornaments in workshops around the island. The island's endemic subspecies, the Yakushima macaque and Yakushima sika deer, are a common sight along the western forest road.
Festivals
Take-mairi
岳参りTake-mairiMountain pilgrimages by village delegations to the peaks, traditionally in spring and autumn.
Yakushima Summer Festival
Summer festival in the island's main settlements with dances and fireworks.
Food
Kubiore saba
首折れサバkubiore sabaMackerel whose necks are snapped immediately after catching to keep them fresh enough to eat as sashimi.
Flying fish
トビウオtobiuoYakushima is a major flying-fish port; the fish is eaten fried whole, as sashimi or as fish cakes.
Tankan
たんかんtankanSweet winter citrus, a tangor, grown on the island's lower slopes.
Mitake shōchū
三岳MitakeSweet-potato shōchū distilled on the island with its soft mountain water, named after the three sacred peaks.
Yakushima tea
屋久島茶Yakushima-chaGreen tea grown early in the season thanks to the warm climate, much of it organic.
Getting around
- High-speed jetfoils from Kagoshima reach Miyanoura or Anbō in about two to three hours, and a car ferry takes about four hours; ferries also connect with Tanegashima.
- Yakushima Airport, on the north-east coast, has flights from Kagoshima of well under an hour and from Fukuoka and Osaka.
- A single coastal road rings the island; local buses run along most of it, and rental cars are widely used. Access roads to trailheads such as Arakawa are subject to seasonal restrictions on private cars, with shuttle buses instead – see the town's official information.
- Entering the mountain areas, including the Jōmon Sugi and summit routes, involves a conservation contribution and, for longer hikes, a mountain registration form; guides are widely available.
Day trips
- 屋久島国立公園Yakushima Kokuritsu Kōen
The protected interior mountains and forests, with multi-day routes across the summit ridge.
- 屋久島Yakushima
The UNESCO property covering about a fifth of the island.
Kuchinoerabu-jima
口永良部島Kuchinoerabu-jimaQuiet volcanic island with hot springs, reached by the town ferry; access depends on volcanic activity.
Tanegashima
種子島TanegashimaNeighbouring island with the Tanegashima Space Center and the history of Japan's first firearms, linked by ferry.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
How long is the hike to Jōmon Sugi?
Typically about ten hours round trip from the Arakawa trailhead, much of it along an old forest railway track; hikers usually start before dawn.
Does it really rain so much on Yakushima?
Yes. The coast is very wet and the mountains far wetter still, among the highest rainfall in Japan; rain gear is essential in every season.
Is Yakushima the forest from Princess Mononoke?
Shiratani Unsuikyō is often said to have inspired the film's forest scenes, and the island is widely associated with it.
How many days are needed on Yakushima?
At least two nights allow one long hike plus a drive around the island; three or more give room for bad weather.
Are there wild animals on Yakushima?
Endemic subspecies of Japanese macaque and sika deer are common; there are no bears. Feeding the animals is prohibited.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 人口等基本集計 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局
- 2.屋久島町ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 屋久島町
- 3.Yakushima (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.屋久島国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
- 5.Kagoshima (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization