Japan Guide
Kyūshū
Yakushima
Some 60km off Kyūshū, a great lump of rock clothed in dripping, subtropical rainforest rises from the ocean. This is Yakushima, blessed with an average annual rainfall of at least 4m on the coast and a staggering 8–10m in its mountainous interior. Not surprisingly, the locals are a little defensive about their weather and though it doesn't sound like an obvious holiday destination, all this rain feeds tumbling streams and a lush, primeval forest famous for its magnificent Yaku-sugi cedar trees, the oldest of which are well over 2000 years and honoured with individual names. Logging companies worked Yakushima's forests until the early 1970s, but much of the island is now protected within the Kirishima-Yaku National Park, and in 1993 it was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.
Yakushima's population of around 13,600 is concentrated in the two main towns of Miyanoura and Anbō or scattered in small settlements around the coast. An increasingly popular tourist destination, Yakushima now boasts a number of swish resort hotels in addition to simpler accommodation. Most people, however, come to hike and camp among the peaks, where the older cedars are found. For the less adventurous, Yaku-sugi Land contains a few more accessible trees and can be reached by public bus. Otherwise, there are a couple of good local museums, a seaside onsen and several beaches, two of which – Isso and Nakama – offer decent snorkelling. There are no dry months here, but the best time to visit is May or during the autumn months of October and November. June sees by far the highest rainfall, though this is when the rhododendrons are at their best, followed by a steamy July and August. Winter brings snow to the peaks, although sea-level temperatures hover around 15°C.
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