JAPAN – Yakushima (in Kagoshima, Kyushu)
Dates: 4 Nights 5 Days (Aug 2019). Nice sunny weather. V wet higher up on the island.
Day treks (x2)
Nature, sea, forest, mountain, trekking, wildlife, moss, big old trees, rain – waterproof jackets are a must!
Useful map – generally and for hikes
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Tokyo – Kagoshima – Yakushima
- Flight: Early AM flight from Tokyo to Kagoshima (prefecture in Kyushu).
- Bus: Airport to kosokusen bus stop 2 – approx 1 HR. ¥1250 per person).
- Jet Foil Toppy (faster boat): No. 115 flights Kagoshima (South Pier) ¥32,400 return Booked online Japanese website (used google translate). Need to take reservation email and issue ticket at the terminal.
- Car: Picked up a small car at Toyota rent-a-car, Miyanoura branch only a few minutes walk from the Miyanoura port, close to the information centre (booked on the phone – 32,600 yen. Return boat was from ANBO port so car return was to Toyota rent a car’s airport branch).
Yakusugi cedar land – drove to the car park and then walked around – we chose the 80min course (note: wet/moss covered wooden roots are slippery).
STAY (2 nights): Yakushima Cottage Mori no Fairy コテージ森のフェアリー
¥ 26,700 for 2 nights.
Clean 2 bedroom cabin, nice porch to enjoy breakfast, spacious and with a loft (futons were up there so could sleep 2 more). No food provided but basic cooking materials and facilities provided (hob, pot & pan, oil, salt and pepper). Got a welcome drink and local fruit based dessert the second day.
10 min drive to A-Coop supermarket
DAY 2 (Hike day)
Hike to Jyomon / Jomon sugi through Shiratani Usuikyo Ravine (Princess Mononoke moss covered forest)
Hiking route: Start Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine – merges into the regular Jomon sugi hike. Standard hike to Jomon starts at Arakawa Trailhead. This alternative route takes about 12 hours. It’s a little more difficult than the standard and adds about 2 more hours to the standard hike.
Reference:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4654.html http://www.yakushimalife.com/Main/GuidedHikes/Courses/Course9ShirataniJomon.php
DAY 3: Relax / rest day
Waterfalls
Drove to several waterfalls on the island:
- Senpirono Falls (can only view from afar and also a viewing deck to look down on a part of the island – a quick 10min stop)
- Ohko Waterfall (more impressive waterfall. Viewed from closer – S took a quick dip – a 20min stop)
By the sea
- Yudomari hot spring (outdoor mixed gender onsen by the sea. Women and men’s sections separated by a small partition.)
- Hirauchi Kaichu Natural Onsen (near our accommodation). This onsen is in the sea.
Only available during low tide (about 2 hours per twice a day). There is as a typhoon due the next week so the sea was pretty rough and we only saw the pool starting to appear after 9pm (bring torch).
Tsukasaki Tide Pool Kurio (quieter small beach near a campsite – 屋久島青少年旅行村)
Seibu-rindo forest drive (narrow windy road expanding 20km along the west coast)
15km of the route has been designated a world heritage site Expect to see beautiful scenery – sea, forest and lots of monkeys and deer
STAY (1 night): 民宿 海中温泉荘
Around ¥14,000 including dinner and breakfast
Right by the sea (where the Hirauchi Kaichu hot spring is). Shared bathroom. Clean enough but very simple (like rooms in a family home). Share bathroom and toilets. Beautiful view of the sea from the rooms. One of the lady’s at our previous accommodation knew this place and Y caught her saying “kowai” (scary). It was bit scary with the rough waves at night – Y didn’t sleep well as the waves were rough, loud and felt quite close.
DAY 4: Hike day + beach
Miyanoura-dake (宮之浦岳) – highest mountain in Kyushu
Distance: 12.8km
Height: 1,935m (elevation 575m)
Time: 8 hrs total
Difficulty: 3/5 (A little technical towards the top – ropes to assist )
Hiking route: From Yodogawa-tozanguchoi (http://best-hike-japan.com/hiking/mt-miyanoura/)
Did only 5 hours of the trek due to heavy rain and wanted to enjoy the island for the rest of the afternoon
- Drove through Seibu-rindo again
- Nakama beach resort
STAY: Yakushima Deaf Farm
1 night around ¥9,000 each for dinner and breakfast
Basic stay in a container converted into a room. In the main container there were laundry facilities (free to use) and a designated toilet and shower for us to use (so private use for us but separate from the room). Food was also provided here (next to the laundry area which was a bit odd). The highlight here is the nice owners and really tasty food.
DAY 5: rest & back to Tokyo
- Inakama beach – less people but waves were to rough (maybe with the typhoon coming the following few days)Nakama beach resort again
- Back to Miyanoura to catch our boat to Kagoshima (scheduled to depart Anbo port but due to typhoon the boat was rescheduled to go from Miyanoura the port we arrived in)
World Explorist 