Jonathan Hillhouse

A recent visit to Yakushima saw me take on the island’s most challenging hike. Spanning three days and traversing all of the major peaks, it was both exhausting and exhilarating.

Day 1

The hike began in the southern town of Onoaida. The last time I had seen the town was when I passed through on bike earlier this year. It was onward and upward to the mountains, the trail beginning at a local onsen and following the Suzuko river. It was a long and arduous journey through deep forest although I did come across some beautiful waterfalls.

I hiked for almost ten hours that day and except for the occasional monkey or deer, didn’t meet a single soul. I was glad to arrive at the Yodogawa mountain hut, safe in the knowledge that most of the boring leg work had been done. The next few days would prove a lot more interesting!

Day 2

I started out early to ascend to the peaks and very quickly the trail became a lot steeper, climbing to Nageshi dake and Okina dake. The hike continued along a ridge and I finally reached Miyanoura-dake at around mid-day. It felt to take a break with a cup of tea from the top of the mountain which at 1935m, is the highest in all of Kyushu.

The cloud wove in and out of the peaks as hikers came and went – many stopping to make calls on their mobile phones, no doubt informing their friends of their accomplishment!

The descent from Miyanoura-dake was my favourite part of the whole hike. By mid-afternoon, most of the cloud had cleared to reveal some great views of the peaks under lovely, warm light. I kept crossing paths with a lovely group of people from Mie-ken who were full of smiles and encouragement – “Jonasan, ganbatte!”

Because I was stopping regularly to take photos, I soon became the only person on the trail.  It’s hard to put into words but for sure, being alone in the mountains was a very relaxing and humbling experience.

Day 3

On my third and final day, I left the Shintakatsuka mountain hut before sunrise as I wanted to photograph Jomon-sugi under early morning light.

Yakushima’s Jomon-sugi is estimated to be between 2170 and 7200 years old, its name deriving from the “Jomon” period of Japanese pre-history. Also known as Daio Sgui (“Emperor Cedar”), it’s muscular branches and white bark resemble a gigantic statue, dwarfing the young cedars and hikers that make the five hour hike to see it.

A short hike from Jomon-sugi you can find Wilson’s stump, all that is left of a giant cedar felled around some 400 years ago. It is believed that the lumber was used in the construction of the Hoko-ji temple in Kyoto, built in 1586. The stump is named after Dr. Ernest Henry Wilson who, through his studies of Japanese fauna, introduced Yakushima’s ancient forests to the rest of the world.

It was about this time that day-trippers descended upon the trail, all heading for Jomon-sugi. Myself heading in the opposite direction, we passed on an abandoned railway line that was once used to transport lumber down from the mountains.

After about an hour hiking along the railway line, I followed a trail over a hill and down through Shiritani Unsuikyo ravine. Having visited this area of Yakushima many times before, I didn’t hang around too long. Thoughts of a warm shower and hot food were good incentives to keep slogging on to my youth hostel!

I did however make a few stops to photograph the fast flowing, crystal clear rivers, abundant here in the forest island. Having made countless stops to re-fill my water bottles, the refreshing water of the mountains had kept me going for the whole hike.

The hike was almost over and after a couple of hours hiking through forest and farmland, I reached the small town of Kusugawa where a local bus took me back to my hostel in Miyanoura. I returned to Tanegashima the next day by ferry, utterly exhausted but relieved I had completed my epic hike over the mountains – やった！

If there is anyone reading this who might like to attempt this Yakushima traverse, a more detailed description of the trail can be found in Lonely Planet’s Hiking in Japan -　がんばって！

~ by Jonthan Hillhouse on October 4, 2008.

Posted in Trips
Tags: 種子島, film photography, fujichrome provia 100f, graduated neutral density, hiking, hiking in japan, japan, japanese landscape, jomon sugi, kusugawa, landscape photography, long exposure, miyanoura, miyanoura dake, mountain hut, mountains, OM4Ti, onoaida, RDPIII, singh ray, singh-ray GND filter, slide film, tanegashima, trail, wilson stump, world heritage site, Yakushima, yakushima traverse, zuiko, zuiko 24mm f/2.8, 宮之浦, 宮之浦岳, 屋久島