A Yakumonkey Guide to enjoying Yakushima 2019
NUNOHIKI-NO-TAKI WATERFALL Access: Isso Nunohiki Waterfall in June, Isso HIRYU OTOSHI WATERFALL Access: Shiratani Unsuikyo Hiryu Otoshi Waterfall during Rainy Season TOROKI-NO-TAKI WATERFALL Access: Mugio Toroki-no-taki Waterfall SENPIRO-NO-TAKI WATERFALL Access: Hara (Google maps) Senpiro-no-taki Waterfall on a clear day OKO-NO-TAKI WATERFALL Access: Kurio Oko-no-taki Waterfall in winter For more information
Read moreYou 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
Read moreIf you can’t find what you’re looking for on this site, check the following: 1. The comments section at the bottom of each page. 2. THE YAKUMONKEY FORUM 3. If you wish to email – you’ll find us at admin@yakumonkey.com. 4. For more information about Yakushima check out the one
Read moreThere 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
Read moreYakushima 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 guide book but I have listed the bare bones of each place below. Booking ahead is rather difficult
Read moreThe South-west coast of Yakushima NAKAMA BEACH 中間浜 Location: Nakama (See Google maps) Nakama beach Nakama is a quiet village and the beach is usually deserted. It’s the best place on the island to surf. TSUKAZAKI TIDAL POOLS 塚崎タイドプール Location: Kurio (See Google maps) Tsukazaki Tidal pool is usually
Read moreFROM KAGOSHIMA AIRPORT Go out of the terminal and find the bus stop ticket machines. The routes are colour-coded and have numbers. The bus to Kagoshima city and the port is red/line 2. So buy a ticket for 1200 yen (adult) or 600 yen (child) from the machine. Look a
Read moreThe 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
Read moreYAKUSUGILAND 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
Read moreMochomu trail entrance, Yakushima A tough hike is to scale the lump of rock that hangs over Onoaida called Mt.Mochomu. The trail entrance is at Senpiro-no-taki waterfall and it snakes its way through the forest and up steep slopes. Mochomu trail entrance, Yakushima The trail is usually very quiet and
Read moreKUSUGAWA TRAIL 楠川歩道 You don’t see much about the Kusugawa trail in tourist information. This is because it starts at the coast and snakes up to Shiratani Unsuikyo. You can get to Shiratani Unsuikyo by car or bus, so why hike up there? Well every time I’ve been along here, it has
Read moreIn 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
Read moreThe following video was filmed by Henry Jun Wah Lee as part of the ‘Valtari mystery film experiment’ in which the Icelandic band, Sigur Rós, contracted a different filmmaker for each song on their album ‘Valtari‘. The location for the entirety of this video is Yakushima.
Read moreAnyone 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
Read more“When I first came to Yakushima, it would have never crossed my mind that I would soon learn the old Japanese craft of carving Yakusugi wood. I was a fisherman; out on the ocean every day to catch flying fish,” says Clive Witham, who, awed by the beauty of Japan’s
Read moreNagata Trail Hanayama Trail Kurio Trail Yudomari Trail Onoaida Trail Tachu dake Trail Aiko dake Trail Mochomu dake Trail Ryujinsugi Trail Illustrations by www.realwave-corp.com
Read moreYAKUSHIMA 2016 NOW IN BOTH PAPERBACK & EBOOK EDITIONS! No Japanese? No problem. Everything you need to enjoy your visit to Yakushima in 2016 is right here! Be free, be independent and find your own adventure! The experience that I gained from living on Yakushima as a fisherman and craftsman
Read moreFilling in Yakushima’s Blanks Yakushima Deer cull
Read morePillow-shaped Lava beach: Location: Nagakubo (See Google maps) A collection of coloured lava rock formations to climb over. Pillow-shaped Lava beach Harutahama beach: Location: Anbo (See Google maps) Jagged rocks with rock pools full of fascinating creatures. Yakusugi Museum: Location: Anbo (See Google maps) Inside it has displays about
Read moreThe north west of Yakushima is where the UNESCO protected forest reaches all the way to the sea. SEIBU RINDOH FOREST PATH Location: West coast of Yakushima Dense vegetation on Seibu Rindoh Forest Path A wild macaque crossing Seibu Rindoh Forest Path Drive, ride or cycle on the meandering road
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