Yakushima: Inside the Ancient Forest Where It Rains Three Hundred Days a Year

Yakushima is a round island, almost perfectly circular, off the southern tip of Kyushu. It is blanketed by a primordial forest of Japanese cedars — the yakusugi — some more than three thousand years old. It was here that Hayao Miyazaki found the inspiration for Princess Mononoke, but the real island is even more hypnotic than the film.

The Jomon Sugi trail

The island's most famous trek leads to the Jomon Sugi, the oldest cedar: somewhere between 2,170 and 7,200 years old, depending on the estimate. It is a ten-hour round trip along a disused narrow-gauge railway and then mountain paths wrapped in moss. The effort is real — 22 kilometres, 700 metres of elevation gain — but the silence of the forest repays every step.

Shiratani Unsuikyo: the moss forest

For those seeking a more accessible experience, the Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a network of trails that winds through the island's densest forest. The three-hour route leads to the Taiko Iwa viewpoint, a boulder that juts above the tree canopy. But the real spectacle is at ground level: every rock, every fallen trunk, every root is covered by a layer of moss so thick it looks like green velvet. Light struggles to filter through the cedar canopy.

Water everywhere

Yakushima receives between 4,000 and 10,000 millimetres of rain a year — in the village of Onoaida they say it rains «35 days a month». Water runs everywhere: waterfalls, streams, natural pools. The Oko-no-taki falls, 88 metres high, are among the most spectacular in Japan. The Hirauchi Kaichu hot springs emerge from the rocks on the coast and are accessible only at low tide — free, open-air, with sea turtles swimming offshore.

Getting there

Flights from Osaka (Itami) or Kagoshima, or a fast ferry from Kagoshima (2 hours). The best time is May–June (before the summer typhoon season) or October–November. The Jomon Sugi trek requires booking the shuttle bus in advance. Bring a waterproof jacket and waterproof boots — this is not a precaution, it is a certainty.