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Why visit Yakushima?

Yakushima is a round, mountainous island off the southern tip of Kyushu, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Much of it is covered by ancient forest, and in 1993 it became one of Japan's first natural World Heritage Sites. The island is famous for its yakusugi, Japanese cedars that grow for many centuries in the damp climate, and for its rain: a well-known saying claims that it rains here thirty-five days a month. All that water feeds rushing rivers, waterfalls and thick carpets of moss.

The best-known tree is Jōmon Sugi, a giant cedar reached on a long full-day hike through the forest. For a shorter walk, Shiratani Unsuikyo is a mossy ravine of streams and old trees, said to have inspired the forest in the film Princess Mononoke. Yakusugi Land offers easier trails among the cedars, Ōko Falls drops down a cliff near the coast, and from late spring loggerhead turtles come ashore to nest on beaches such as Nagata. Experienced hikers can climb Miyanoura-dake, the highest peak in Kyushu. Ferries, fast jetfoils and flights connect the island with Kagoshima. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable times to visit, but bring good rain gear whatever the season.

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