JP · Kagoshima Prefecture · 30.34°N 130.52°E

yakushima

Ancient cedar forests straight out of Princess Mononoke. A proper hiking island.

Best time
Spring and autumn are best for hiking. It rains a lot all year, most of all in the June rainy season, and summer can bring typhoons. In winter the peaks can get snow.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Fukuoka and take the shinkansen to Kagoshima, or fly to Kagoshima via Tokyo or Osaka. From Kagoshima, the high-speed ferry takes about 2–3 hours, the car ferry about 4 hours, or there's a short flight.
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JP · Kagoshima Prefectureyakushima30.34°N 130.52°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Ancient cedar forests straight out of Princess Mononoke. A proper hiking island.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingYakushimaJP, Kagoshima Prefecture
KLyakushima
≈ 4,281 km from KL, as the crow flies
The Three Mountains (Mitake) of Yakushima

Photo: As6022014 · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A round, mountainous island south of Kyushu, covered in ancient cedar forest and moss. It's a World Heritage site and a proper hiking destination, and the misty Shiratani forest is said to have inspired the forest in Princess Mononoke.

Makan

  1. Flying fishThe island's signature catch, often served deep-fried whole.Map ↗
  2. Kubiore sabaVery fresh mackerel served as sashimi, a local speciality.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Shiratani UnsuikyoA moss-covered forest gorge with trails from an hour to most of a day.Map ↗
  2. Jomon SugiThe island's most famous cedar, thought to be thousands of years old. It's a hard 10-hour round-trip hike, so start before dawn.Map ↗
  3. Yakusugi LandShorter forest walks among giant cedars, good if you don't want the full Jomon Sugi day.Map ↗
  4. Okonotaki and Senpiro fallsTwo big waterfalls on the south side of the island, both easy to reach by car.Map ↗
  5. Hirauchi Kaichu OnsenA rock-pool hot spring on the shore that you can only bathe in at low tide.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Bring proper rain gear and hiking shoes. Locals joke that it rains 35 days a month here.
  • In the main season you can't drive to the Jomon Sugi trailhead. Take the shuttle bus instead.
  • Buses are infrequent, so most people rent a car. You need an International Driving Permit from JPJ to rent a car in Japan.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.