3,000-year-old Yayoi Sugi/Abu Travels on Yakushima Island
Last week, finally ended the six-month trip to the four countries (specific click: four countries 7 days of rapid travel) update, Jiangnan rainy days are not over, time has passed a lot, and two weeks, cold to mid-July.
Since this week, the travel part of Abu Travel Notes has also shifted to the wider areas of Japan, and continue to take stock of the more footprints we and our friends have traveled in the past five years. Today, let's start with a "satellite" that we just let go, and talk about Yakushima.
How to say this island, it is not unfamiliar to many people in China, especially anime fans, because Miyazaki Hayao's anime, unforgettable and beautiful Princess Mononoke Forest, and many domestic travel introductions about Yakushima, basically must also be called "Princess Mononoke Forest", over time, many anime fans feel that it is an anime punch card.
But after actually going there, at least for us, it was found that this was not the case. You can go to Yakushima to punch in "Princess Mononoke Forest", but that doesn't mean it's necessarily a game for anime fans, in fact, it's more of a climber's dish.
Ferry ticket to Yakushima / Abu travel hand photo
Go to Yakushima
Let's start with the trip to Yakushima 6 years ago.
As anime fans, our trip to Yakushima, like many of our later peers, was to see what the real Princess Mononoke Forest looked like, and it was also the last few stops of the second half of our first trip to Japan, a crazy ten-day trip across the three major islands of Japan.
We flew from Tokyo to Hokkaido, then from Hokkaido to Osaka, then to Kobe after a tour of Kyoto, and at sunset we boarded a cruise ship called the Sunflower, which crossed the Seto Inland Sea, sailed overnight, disembarked at Oita, Kyushu early the next morning, and then took a train through the Kumamoto Plain where you can see the smoke-emitting volcano, and then to Kagoshima City on the south side of Kyushu.
Yakushima Island is located about 60 kilometers south of Kagoshima City.
Screenshot of Kagoshima to Yakushima/Abu Travel Notes
Map of Yakushima Island / Official Announcement Map
On the satellite map, it is a bit like a coin island, because it is indeed quite round, along the circular coastline there is a circle of roads, and then look at the roadside buildings, the range left for human activities is actually very limited, the island is only permanently inhabited by tens of thousands of people, and the highest peak in the middle of the island, is also the highest peak in Kyushu, the 1935 meters above sea level Miyanoura as the center, the vast majority of the area around the sea, is an endless mountain.
Surrounded by a vast sea, this also means that no matter where the wind with a lot of water vapor in the sea comes from, it will crash into the mountain on Yakushima and become rain, which also makes it the place with the most rainfall in Japan, with a lot of rainfall, dense vegetation, and a lonely sea, which is rarely damaged by humans, and the result is a unique ecosystem of Yakushima.
Yakushima satellite image / Screenshot of Abu Travel's handwriting
Since it rains a lot, it is still a primeval forest, so there will be endless moss and various forest greens, and it is not surprising that the Princess Mononoke Forest is filmed there. It was just a result, and Yakushima was always there.
To put it bluntly, Yakushima is two words, natural.
Its real symbol is the original forest with thousands of years old, such as Jomon fir, Yayoi fir, and Annomoto cedar, as well as natural unfilled hot springs in the sea, plus deer and monkeys accompany each other (specific click: the most all-japan wild tour map), and there are also turtles that regularly lay eggs here. This is the attraction of Yakushima and a place unique in Japan. Because of this uniqueness, it was able to become one of Japan's first natural landscapes in 1993, along with the Shirakami Mountains in Tohoku Region.
Yakushima is not far from Kagoshima, because it is a World Heritage-level tourist attraction, the traffic is also convenient, both planes and boats, Abu Travel Notes choose to take a high-speed boat 6 times a day, but the price of the ferry ticket is indeed not cheap, 1 person round-trip needs nearly 1000 yuan, and the time at sea, the direct departure is about 2 hours.
Yakushima timetable of Kagoshima Port / Abu Travel Handbook
6 boats per day to Yakushima / official announcement screenshot
After landing on Yakushima Island, our next arrangement was divided into two parts.
One is to go to Miyanoura Port, change buses to Shiratani Unsui Gorge, and then climb all the way to Taiko Rock, not only punching in the "Princess Mononoke Forest", but also seeing what thousands of years of cedar trees and primeval forests look like; then returning, taking the bus around the island, to Hirane, at the southern end of Yakushima Island, staying at a seaside homestay, and soaking in the sea hot springs where the tide rises and falls.
Anime fans hit the clock on the mountain
Abu Travel Notes chose the fastest high-speed boat that departed from Kagoshima Port at 7:45 a.m., because it was early and direct, and there were not many tourists on board. Because the sea wind and waves were a little large that day, the speed of the ship was not fast, and it was 10:15 to reach yakushima Miyanoura Port, which was half an hour later than expected.
When you dock, it may be the blue sky overhead, the special effect of thick rain clouds in the distance, the air transparency is particularly high, looking at Yakushima Island on the boat, quite a bit of the taste of the fairy mountain, as shown in the following figure:
High-speed boat to Yakushima / Abu travel hand photo
Photograph of Yakushima/Abu travels seen when you docked at the port
The mountain that cannot be seen behind the mountain in the distance above is where the "Princess Mononoke Forest" we are going is, and it really feels very far away psychologically.
Of course, since it is a tourist destination, it is impossible for you to go directly into the mountain from the pier on your own legs. On the Miyanoura Pier, there is a bus line to the entrance to the White Valley Unsui Gorge, which is also the end of the asphalt road, and then, if you want to pass through the Princess Mononoke Forest and then reach Taiko Rock, you must walk. On the 2.5-kilometer mountain road, the Yakushima Tourism Association gives a round-trip time of 5 hours.
There is still a distance from Miyanoura to Taiko Rock / Abu Travel Handbook Mapping
Map of Baigu Yunshui Gorge / Abu Travel Handbook
Writing here, do you understand something, what does this mean for some anime fans who stay at home and don't usually exercise much? It means an unprecedented challenge.
For Abu Travel Notes, such a journey is not the first time to meet, so it is okay, and another point that makes people feel good is that there are almost no tourists on the bus that climbs along the winding mountain road, although it has not yet reached the real mountain climb, but whether it is the air after the rain or the mountain view, it is very intoxicating.
Yakushima/Abu Travel Handbook after the Rain
And many domestic mountain scenic spots need to climb, most of them will be paved with cement, from the entrance of the White Valley Yunshui Gorge, the trails along the way, are natural, there is mud and sand, rain will slip the natural trail. As luck would have it that day, it didn't rain when climbing the mountain, so the climb wasn't too difficult.
Next, the real Princess Mononoke Forest, as well as what you have seen and heard in the section to Taiko Rock, it is better to express it in pictures, as follows:
Yakushima Hiking Road / Abu Travel Handbook
Along the way, there are mossy mountain views everywhere, and although the mountain road is rugged, it is not difficult to walk, after all, there are still people to maintain.
And the Shiragu Yunshui Gorge to Taikoo Rock section, tourists like to walk, the fame is also the largest, but also inevitable, because compared to the longer, more rugged Yakushima mountaineering route, it is moderately difficult, and the road is clear, the middle can enjoy the yakushima primeval forest scenery, the same variety of forms, as well as clear mountain spring water can be drunk directly.
Primeval forest scenery of Yakushima / Abu travel handbook photo
The so-called Princess Mononoke Forest, is also a moss woodland, you want to say that compared with the scene in the anime, which is good-looking, we think it is still anime good-looking, because there are many details, as well as the performance of animation, on-site viewing, can only experience the artistic conception of the original forest.
Live version of Princess Mononoke/Abu Travel Handbook
Of course, the thousands of years old trees on Yakushima Island are not blown, at least in China, we have not seen many such thick trees densely forested.
Such a thick pristine tree/Abu travel handbook
Although Taiko Rock is not the highest peak on Yakushima Island, but it really reaches the summit, after all, it is also a place with a height, standing on a large rock, looking down at the cliff, the mountain wind is raging, looking south, the vast forest sea and the clouds in the distance will still make people panic.
Yakushima Taiko iwa/Abu Travel Handbook
Standing on the side of the taiko rock looking at the mountain / Abu travel handbook photo
Although it was just after noon, seeing that the sky was dark again, I was really worried about the rain, hurried down the mountain, and saw a group of Japanese elementary school students wearing yellow raincoats, climbing up under the leadership of the teacher, probably they saw us jumping down the mountain eagerly, when we passed by, the group of elementary school students actually stopped neatly to make way for us.
Although the scene at that time was not filmed, even after 6 years, the scene is still fresh in people's minds. Such a discipline does have something to admire and feel terrible about.
Hirauchi Underwater Hot Spring
Abu Travel Notes Toss down from Taiko Rock, look at the watch, it is indeed 6 hours later afternoon, and then take a bus down the mountain from Shiraya Unsui Gorge, return to Miyanoura Port, and then change to the roundabout bus there, to the southernmost Hiranai Kainaka Hot Spring.
PingnaiHai Zhong hot springs / Abu travel handbook photo
Next to the hot spring, there is a homestay called "Hot Spring Village in the Sea", which was where we stayed that night.
Think it is really lucky, we did not encounter rain on the mountain, but just got on the bus, outside is a sharp rain tilting down, from the inside of the car to see the outside, suddenly blurred vision, really worthy of the heaviest rainfall in Japan, it is also magical, and the bus to the Hiranuchi station, the rain stopped again.
It is still a walking distance from Hiranouchi Station to Kainaka Onsenso, after all, it is by the sea.
Hot springs in the flat inland sea flooded by the tide / Abu travel handbook
And the evening we arrived, it is the high tide, the original hot spring in the sea, has been flooded by the tide, so only to see the seaside scenery first, the weather is not good, can only experience the waves on the seaside to hit the reef, the waves are turbulent.
As there were not many guests on that day, the owner of the homestay deliberately gave us a super large room with sea view. It's really rural, and the rooms are so big that people feel relaxed.
Super big B&B room/Abu travel handbook
After settling in and looking outside, it was time for dinner.
The so-called sea to eat the sea, in the homestay of Yakushima Island, come to a seafood meal, it is indispensable. In fact, after eating, we don't know how many kinds of seafood we ate, but we remember a few glasses of wine that night, which suddenly made people feel that the trip was really good, and after the meal, a group of Japanese guests who lived with us sang a song of "Song of the Four Seasons" together.
That night's Yakushima Seafood/Abu Travel Handbook
Writing this, if you think it is time to go back to the room to rest, it is a big mistake, because at 9 o'clock in the evening, when we are full of wine and food, after singing, go out to see, the sky is clear, the sky can faintly see the moonlight, more importantly, the sea is low tide, the hot spring in the sea has come out, you can soak in the sea breeze for a night hot spring.
Just like that, in the night, Abu Travel's notebook touched the seashore and jumped in. The natural sulfur spring is indeed worthy of the name, there is really a strong smell of sulfur, and the temperature, because the tide has just fallen, the hot and cold are just right, looking up at the sky, deeply feel the beauty of the hot spring in the sea.
The next day, it was a blue sky and white clouds in the early morning, continuing to pace near the hot spring in the sea, and catching a glimpse of the dark clouds and sunny seaside scenery on the other side of the side, which was really amazing.
A stunning glimpse of the Yakushima Sea in the early morning / Abu Travel Handbook
The hot spring in the Pingnei Sea, which was soaked last night, slowly fell with the morning tide, and finally revealed its true face.
Such a wild hot spring, Abu Travel Notes even feels that even Hokkaido's snow hot springs can not be compared. But soaking in the hot springs in the sea during the day also has a rather bad side, that is, when you are soaking, there will always be other tourists who are curious to come and see, or it is better to see at night when no one sees.
The tide faded to reveal the true face of the flat inland sea hot springs / Abu travel handbook photo
Climber's dish
We realized that Yakushima was actually more of a climber's dish, on the way back from Hirane to Miyanoura Pier.
Yakushima is not a very convenient island, because the population is not large, the bus around the island still has to wait at the stop early, and if you miss it, you will have to wait for another hour.
There are very few cars on the yakushima roundabout road / Abu travel handwriting
Abu Travel Notes The next day was like this, 2 minutes late, and I missed the previous bus to Miyanoura Pier, no way, so I looked at the interesting places on the map, followed the navigation, walked to the slope further north, visited a pottery workshop, and when I passed the freshly harvested farmland, I saw the legendary island deer.
But as many raiders say, the deer on Yakushima Island are not afraid of people being very different, and when those few island deer see us, they run away far away, completely without the strength of their relatives.
Photographed by Yakushima Katsura/Abu Travel handbook in the distance
Waiting for the next bus and then back to the pier, we began to think about what was the most correct way to play Yakushima, and after so many years, as we learned more about the island, we concluded that if the destination of the trip was this island, it was most suitable for outdoor enthusiasts to come for four days and three nights.
One of the most important reasons is that Yakushima's mountaineering routes, in addition to the most daily route we take, there are actually many, but the more pristine mountain trails, and even the long routes that require spending the night in the mountains, may not be able to adapt to the general people who are accustomed to urban life.
Another place on Yakushima that makes people feel "too wild" is that there are not many places that can provide meals, and if you want to eat comfortably, in addition to the dock, there are only homestays or hotels, as for convenience stores, along the road around the island, you can only find them at the Miyanoura Pier.
But for mountaineers who have fun sleeping in the wind, Yakushima is paradise. From Taiko Rock to Jomon Sugi to Aikotake and Taichu, there are 7 major routes disclosed by the Yakushima Tourism Association alone, and each route has its own unique scenery.
As a World Heritage Site, Yakushima is considered by most Japanese to be a place where you should clock in at least once in your life, and in the eyes of climbers, Yaku's charm may not be just once.
So how did this suitable climber count out for four days and three nights?
Abu Travel Notes observed something like this — the first day from Kagoshima City to Yakushima, stay at a beachside hotel or homestay, soak in a hot spring, if you have enough time, you can go to the beach or visit the island's waterfalls; or eat a delicious black pork barbecue in Kyushu.
The next morning, set off early in the morning, climb the mountain, according to the different routes selected, consider spending the night in that mountain hut; if you want to see the sunrise, generally walk the night route for the first time, you can consider the observation deck near the new Takatsuka hut, take the "Jomon sugi - Miyanoura Mt. Summit", this route is relatively mature, relatively few accidents.
Yakushima Hiking Trail / Official Announcement
On the third day, get up to see the sunrise, walk a little more mountain, go down the mountain in the evening and take a hot spring, sleep steadily, and then get up on the fourth day, you can leisurely tidy up your bags, or eat a good roast, and then leave the house for a long time.
If you're still an animal lover, you can also watch turtles spawn in June and July every year, and if you add the time to explore the waters of Yakushima Island in a canoe and go out to sea to catch a fish, you can stay on the island for a week, which can also be arranged to be very fulfilling.
Of course, spending the night in the mountains, or even 2 or 3 days in a row in the wild, is obviously not acceptable to most anime fans, or ordinary travelers who prefer humanistic cities.
If you just want to spend a hot spring vacation in Yaku and punch in the Princess Mononoke Forest by the way, then there is also a fairly high-end four-star SPA hotel on the island, Sankara, which can be used to blow the mountain wind, look at the sea, look at the stars, and be in a daze; take the bus around the island, where you want to go, where you want to come down, so it is still worth it to empty it.
Oh, yes, there is also "Tanegashima" next door to Yakushima, which can be punched in Shinkai Makoto, which is Japan's space launch base; if you like all the outdoor content mentioned above, just play from Kagoshima to Tanegashima and then to Yakushima, this small piece of the southernmost part of Kyushu can be done in 10 days.