Yakushima Shiratani Unsuikyo and Jomon Sugi Trekking Course

Sometimes called the Alps of the sea, Yakushima is a World Natural Heritage island that cradles a primeval forest in its interior. The mossy rocks and clear streams of Shiratani Unsuikyo and the Jomon Sugi cedar, said to be thousands of years old, await. This classic two-day trekking course lets you feel the nature of Yakushima with your whole body.

Course Route

Day 1

13:00 Arrive at Miyanoura port or Yakushima Airport Check in first and prepare trekking gear and food for the next day. Reach Yakushima from Kagoshima by high-speed boat, ferry, or plane.

15:00 A light walk in Shiratani Unsuikyo Ease your body in by walking near the entrance of the mossy forest. This green-wrapped ravine, also known as the forest of the spirits, offers a taste of Yakushima even in a short visit.

Day 2

5:00 Begin the Jomon Sugi trek Reach the trailhead before dawn. The early stretch follows a long, flat old tramway line, after which a proper mountain trail leads deep into the forest.

10:30 Meet Jomon Sugi After a long journey, you reach a giant cedar of overwhelming presence. Its ancient form leaves you speechless for a moment.

16:00 Descend and return to lodging Come down safely and soothe your tired body in a hot spring.

Highlights

Jomon Sugi is truly the symbol of the island. Standing before a giant tree that has survived for thousands of years, you feel the very scale of time shift. Shiratani Unsuikyo is a dreamlike world of moss and clear streams where even a short visit offers plenty of Yakushima magic.

Practical Travel Notes

• Access: Reach Yakushima from Kagoshima by high-speed boat, ferry, or plane. Ports and the airport are in different parts of the island, so choose your transport to match the location of your lodging and trailhead.
• Jomon Sugi trek: From the Arakawa trailhead to Jomon Sugi is about 22 km round trip, a serious route that can total around ten hours. The early section is a long, nearly flat tramway line, with a mountain climb in the latter half. This is a route for the fit, so plan with plenty of stamina and time to spare.
• Trailhead access rules: Private vehicles are restricted on the road to the Arakawa trailhead during certain periods, so you enter via designated climbing buses. Always confirm operating status and connections in advance.
• Gear: Solid rain gear, comfortable hiking boots, trail snacks, and ample water are essential. Bring a headlamp for the pre-dawn start. Going with a guide adds reassurance for navigation and safety.
• Hot springs: After descending, you can soothe your body at hot springs on the island, including distinctive open-air baths by the sea.

A Quick Tip

Yakushima is a very rainy island. Solid rain gear and comfortable hiking boots are essential. The weather changes quickly, so keep your plans reasonable and start early. The Jomon Sugi round trip is long, so if you have any concerns about your condition, stay flexible and consider switching to a shorter option such as a walk in Shiratani Unsuikyo.

Practical Information for Your Visit

Assumptions behind this itinerary (time required and transport)

• Two days and one night. On the first day you travel to the island and take an easy walk in Shiratani Unsuikyo, and on the second day you trek to the Jomon Sugi cedar.
• The Jomon Sugi is a serious undertaking of roughly 22 km there and back from the Arakawa trailhead, taking around 10 hours in total. It is for strong walkers, and setting out at around 5 a.m. is the norm.
• You reach Yakushima from Kagoshima by high-speed boat, ferry or plane.

Opening hours and closing days of each facility

• Shiratani Unsuikyo: You pay the contribution at the management hut at the entrance and then enter the forest. The reception hours change with the season, so we recommend checking in advance.
• Arakawa climbing bus stop (the bus stop in front of the Yakusugi Museum): Bus tickets are handled from 4:30 to 5:40 and from 10:30 to 18:30.
• Outlets selling climbing bus tickets: the Yakushima Tourism Association's Miyanoura Information Office and Anbo Information Office from 8:30 to 17:30, the information office in front of the airport from 9:00 to 18:00, and the Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Village Center from 9:00 to 17:00, among others.

Guide to costs

• Forest environment maintenance contribution for Shiratani Unsuikyo and Yakusugi Land: revised on April 1, 2026 to 800 yen per person for high school students and older (it was 500 yen before the revision).
• Arakawa climbing bus ticket (including the mountain area environmental conservation contribution): junior high school students and older 2,000 yen one way / 3,000 yen return; elementary school children 500 yen one way / 1,000 yen return; disability discount 500 yen one way / 1,000 yen return. There is no group discount.
• Mountain area environmental conservation contribution: 1,000 yen for a day trip into the mountains and 2,000 yen if you stay overnight in the mountains (junior high school students and older).

Access

• For the Jomon Sugi climb, take a local bus or similar to the stop in front of the Yakusugi Museum and change there to the Arakawa climbing bus (about 40 minutes from the Yakusugi Museum to the Arakawa trailhead).
• The Arakawa climbing bus timetable (March to November) has outbound departures from in front of the Yakusugi Museum at 5:00, 5:20, 5:40 (some services are suspended in June) and 14:00, and return departures from the Arakawa trailhead at 15:00, 16:00, 16:30, 17:00 and 17:45, among others.
• The number of vehicles on the early morning services (the 5 and 6 o'clock hours) is limited, and if capacity is exceeded you will have to take the next departure.

Parking

• General vehicles cannot enter the Arakawa trailhead. Park your own car or hire car in front of the Yakusugi Museum and change to the climbing bus following the instructions of the attendants.
• There is also a car park at the entrance to Shiratani Unsuikyo, but the number of spaces is limited.

What needs to be booked

• You cannot reserve a particular service or seat on the Arakawa climbing bus. To ease congestion, visitors are asked to buy their bus ticket in advance, by the day before the climb (buying on the day is also possible).
• Guided tours require a booking. A guide is reassuring both for finding the way and for safety, so we recommend that first-time visitors take one along.
• Book accommodation, hire cars, high-speed boats and flights early in the busy season.

Points to note and safety warnings

• For 275 days every year, from March 1 to November 30, the municipal Arakawa Line road leading to the Arakawa trailhead (from the Arakawa three-way junction to the Arakawa trailhead) is closed all day to general vehicles (including private cars, hire cars, motorcycles and bicycles). A gate is set up at the Arakawa three-way junction.
• The climbing bus may be suspended or its timetable changed depending on road conditions such as bad weather, snow or ice. Be sure to check the latest service information.
• Yakushima is an island with a great deal of rain. Sturdy rainwear, hiking boots, snacks, plenty of water and a headlamp for the early morning start are essential.
• The "Ikoi no Oiwa" boulder in Shiratani Unsuikyo is slippery and dangerous. Avoid passing it in sandals and use the detour routes instead (the Yayoi Sugi path and the Hiryu path).
• Toilets in the mountains are limited. Please cooperate by carrying and using a portable toilet.

* The information given here is subject to change. Please check the official websites for the latest information before you set out.

(Sources: Official website of the World Natural Heritage Yakushima Mountain Area Environmental Conservation Contribution, "On Vehicle Access Restrictions and the Climbing Bus"; official website of the Yakushima Recreational Forest Conservation and Management Council; as of July 2026)