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Yakushima's mountains covered in deep forest, with a river flowing into the sea

Kagoshima, Japan

YakushimaYAKUSHIMA

A forest of moss and giant trees. An island where a thousand years flow by.

30°22'N 130°32'E

01IntroductionIntroduction

A forest of moss and giant trees. An island where a thousand years flow by.

Yakushima Town, Kagoshima Prefecture. Home to Mount Miyanoura (1,936 m), the highest peak in Kyushu, with forests of Yakusugi cedars over a thousand years old and moss-covered ravines. In 1993 it became one of the first areas in Japan inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site.

World Natural HeritageJomon SugiYakusugi cedarsMoss forestShiratani UnsuikyoMount Miyanoura

02Key InformationKey information

Key information about Yakushima

Only information confirmed in the sources (listed at the bottom of the page) is shown. Please check the latest official information before your visit.

PrefecturePrefecture
Kagoshima
RegionRegion
Kyushu
MunicipalityMunicipality
Yakushima Town
CategoryScenery
IslandsForestsMountainsGorgesNational parksWorld Heritage
ElevationElevation
Summit of Mount Miyanoura 1,936 m (highest in Kyushu)
Access overviewAccess
From Kagoshima by high-speed boat, ferry or plane.
Protected areasProtection
  • Yakushima National Park
  • World Natural Heritage "Yakushima" (1993)
Height of Jomon SugiData
25.3 m
LocationCoordinates
30°22'N 130°32'E
Yakushima's forest of layered moss-covered rocks and trees

Yakushima — Kagoshima

Photo: Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

03StoryStory

The Story of
Yakushima

Enter the forest and everything is covered in moss. Rocks, fallen trees, roots. On this rainy island, the forest itself lives by layering green upon green.

Within the short distance from coast to summit, vegetation from subtropical to cool-temperate is stacked vertically. At its centre lies the forest of Yakusugi cedars more than a thousand years old.

Reaching Jomon Sugi means a long walk there and back. There are also places, such as Shiratani Unsuikyo, where you can walk through the moss forest with relative ease.

04GalleryGallery

5 photographs

—FilmTravel through film

Yakushima on film

All films →

【屋久島 | Yakushima】世界自然遺産登録30周年記念映像 | World Natural Heritage Site - 30th Year Anniversary Video

Source: Yakushima Town【屋久島町公式】 / Watch on YouTube ↗

「いま、ここに、屋久島国立公園」「Enjoy！ YAKUSHIMA　STORY」－Short．VER

Source: 環境省　日本の国立公園 / Watch on YouTube ↗

The films shown here are published on YouTube by official channels such as the Ministry of the Environment, local governments and tourism associations, and are presented using YouTube's embed feature. Copyright remains with each publisher. No connection is made to YouTube until you press play.

05SeasonsThrough the seasons

The four seasons of Yakushima

  1. SpringSpring

    Fresh greenery, and Yakushima rhododendrons near the summits.

    Recommended

  2. SummerSummer

    The season when the forest's green is deepest. It is cool along the streams.

    Recommended

  3. AutumnAutumn

    A period of relatively stable weather, suited to climbing.

    Recommended

  4. WinterWinter

    Snow settles on the summits. Snowy mountains on a southern island.

    Recommended

06LocationLocation

30°22'N 130°32'E

Kagoshima, Yakushima Town (Kyushu)

OpenStreetMap ↗Google Maps ↗

An interactive map is in preparation. For now, the location is shown among all destinations.

26°N30°N34°N38°N42°NYAKUSHIMA

07NearbyNearby scenic spots

Another landscape, close by.

An inlet of Amami Oshima and the blue sea seen from high ground

Amami Oshima

AMAMI

About 257 km (straight-line distance)

The vermilion great torii of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the sea at high tide

Miyajima

MIYAJIMA

About 469 km (straight-line distance)

An emerald-green inlet surrounded by green forest

Northern Okinawa Island

OKINAWA

About 474 km (straight-line distance)

08RelatedSimilar landscapes

If you love this landscape.

A river on Iriomote Island with mangroves reaching over the water

IRIOMOTE

Iriomote Island

Okinawa

A subtropical jungle covering most of the island.

The Oirase Stream flowing through fresh green forest

OIRASE

Oirase StreamAomori · Tohoku

Towada City, Aomori Prefecture. A mountain stream running from Nenokuchi on Lake Towada to Yakeyama, where clear water flows between mossy rocks and forest in a succession of waterfalls and rapids. A walking trail follows the river.

Gorges / Forests / Waterfalls

Taisho Pond reflecting autumn forest and the Hotaka range

KAMIKOCHI

KamikochiNagano · Koshinetsu

A mountain scenic area at an elevation of about 1,500 m, set deep in the Northern Alps in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. Along the Azusa River, beneath the Hotaka mountain range, lie Taisho Pond, Kappa Bridge and Myojin Pond.

Mountains / Gorges / Forests

09SourcesSources

Sources

10Photo CreditsPhoto credits

PhotoTitle / PhotographerSourceLicence
Yakushima's mountains covered in deep forest, with a river flowing into the seaYakushima Botanical Research Park - Yakushima839lumoplankWikimedia Commons ↗CC0
Yakushima's forest of layered moss-covered rocks and treesMononoke mori Yakushima 05Chris 73Wikimedia Commons ↗CC BY-SA 3.0
Jomon Sugi standing in the misty forestJomon Sugi 01Σ64Wikimedia Commons ↗CC BY 3.0
A ravine with a mountain stream and mossy rocksMononoke mori Yakushima 03Chris 73Wikimedia Commons ↗CC BY-SA 3.0
A forest path tangled with roots and mossMononoke mori Yakushima 09Chris 73Wikimedia Commons ↗CC BY-SA 3.0
A waterfall tumbling between mossy rocksYakushima - Yakushima816lumoplankWikimedia Commons ↗CC0
The massive trunk of the giant Jomon SugiThe Jomonsugi Cedar tree (52930615907)Raita Futo from Tokyo, JapanWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY 2.0
All photo credits →