//
Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Photo: Flickr user: Kabacchi Japan https://www.flickr.com/people/kabacchi/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Yakushima (屋久島) is an island off the south east coast of Kyushu next to Tanegashima and north of Okinawa in Japan. Officially a part of Kagoshima Prefecture, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
屋久杉自然館, Yakusugi Shizenkan
There are photos, movies and hands-on exhibits showing the island's natural wonders and the history of the logging industry. You can also hug a section of a 1660-year-old yakusugi. English explanatory pamphlet provided. A short walk away is the World Heritage Conservation Center.
屋久島フルーツガーデン, Yakushima Furuutsu Gaaden
Walk among the hundreds of tropical fruit trees and plants, with seasonal fruit like papaya, mango, guava and starfruit available to eat or drink.
志戸子ガジュマル園, Shitogo Gajumaru-en
There are 300-year-old Banyan trees and a variety of sub-tropical plants in a park setting.
大川の滝
There are several waterfalls on the island, and this one is justly rated as one of Japan's best.The 90-meter falls are easily accessible, being a short walk away from the main highway on a paved road, and visitors can approach the base for a good view. Those wanting to get closer and wetter can scramble over boulders to the plunge pool.
ネイティブビジョン
アウトドア屋久島ガイドシステム
縄文杉
This tree is said to be the largest and oldest tree on the island, perhaps 2,000-7,000 years old. Getting here involves an 8-hour hike, with shuttle bus departures arriving before dawn; plan seriously, and expect rain.
白谷雲水峡
A map and suggested routes based on your time constraints are provided at the trail head. There are two main hiking options: a 3- to 4-hour route through an awe-inspiring forest with a half-dozen or so yakusugi and more moss than you can shake a stick at; and a 30-minute there-and-back hike to the magnificent 3000-year-old cedar called Yayoi sugi. The longer route begins with a series of wooden steps and walkways past waterfalls. A loop to the right takes in the Yayoi sugi but it's recommended to leave this until last. Keep going ahead for 15 minutes until you come to a suspension bridge. Don't cross the bridge but walk ahead into the forest proper where the trail climbs past mossy stumps and ancient trees, and drops down to boulder-strewn drinking streams, leading you deep into another silent world. Deer and monkeys graze and feed unafraid. After about two hours of walking with stops to take in the natural marvels of the forest, the trail divides, with an option to turn right to Shiratani hut and Mononoke-hime no Mori, a part of the forest named after Hayao Miyazaki's anime movie Princess Mononoke. You miss nothing by turning left here and heading back via the original Edo-period Kusugawa trail. After an hour's walk, it ends in the trail's old granite steps down to the suspension bridge. Cross the bridge, turn right, take the loop up to the left to Yayoi sugi if you still have the energy, and return down to the trailhead. This hike is not especially arduous, and is one of the most beautiful on the island. As of April 2026, the Bugyosugi Cedar Course (3-hour hike) mentioned is indefinitely closed.
屋久杉ランド
In spite of its theme-park name, this is another natural area for walking in the forest among yakusugi, with a variety of hiking options based on time (there are 30-, 50-, 80- and 150-minute round trip trails). It is less accessible than Shiratani Unsuikyo, being further from the coast with a narrower access road and fewer buses.
平内海中温泉
This onsen is only usable for a few hours before and after low tide. It is also very well-known, and the constant flow of visitors can make it a less-than-relaxing place to bathe.
湯泊温泉
Far better is Yudomari Onsen. The tiny main pool has a bamboo screen that offers a modicum of separation between the sexes. But keep walking down the concrete path to the left of this bath and you will come to an even smaller, more private pool. Between soaks, slip down to the sea for a swim among the rocks. Just outside the entrance, a small bar serves cold beer and other drinks and snacks.
ひよりや
Plant-based joint in Yakushima, serving Japanese-style dishes. Open on evenings exclusively on a reservation basis.
萬来軒
This simple Chinese-food restaurant offers among others tasty ramen and fried rice (chahan, チャーハン) in large quantity.
れんが屋
Yakiniku restaurant (Japanese barbecue)
モスバーガー
If you give up on the culinary specialties of the area (shame!), you can still opt for this fast food franchise whose hamburger taste more Japanese than their competitors.
できたて屋
Prepare bentō (lunch box). Order the day before at 20:00 at the latest. If they are closed, you may need help to order by phone if you don't speak Japanese.
コテージ 森のこかげ
屋久島コリビングみなと
A youth hostel near the Minanoura Port.
民宿 トロッコの宿
Rooms with LCD TV, air conditioning and a small fridge. Shared bathroom and free washing machine. Wi-Fi for a small charge.
四季の宿
A small family-run lodge with a choice of Japanese style rooms, Western rooms or cottages. Beer is separately purchasable, and for ¥700 they will sell you a lunch the next day — recommended for hikers.
ロッジ八重岳山荘
Ryokan (separate toilet and hot spring water bath) with tatami mat rooms interconnected with wooden walkways. It is located within a forest of thin cedar trees which the rooms have balconies opening onto, and is right next to a clean, fresh water river. There are kayaks, a barbecue area, and a free laundry and dryer. During the rain it has a cozy, lovely, dark, and aromatic experience in sharp contrast to the dense compact cities of modern Japan. Due to the backwoods location, pick-up can be arranged in advanced.
サマナホテル屋久島
The modern nonagonal hotel building is situated on a point so the Pacific horizon seems to stretch endlessly. Opposite, the island's mountains rise in a sheer rock face. The rooms and food are excellent, and there is a hot spring (including a rotenburo outdoor bath) overlooking the ocean. The staff are polite and thoughtful, even by Japanese standards.
Aコープ
A small supermarket, where the choice can be limited for your hiking meal for the next day. There is not
By bus
You can find bus timetables in English on this page on the site of the tourism office (may not be the latest).
By rentals
Rental centers will rent cars, scooters and mountain bikes for flexible periods of time from 3 hours to 2 days with built in extensions of a day — and penalties per hour late.
By taxi
Taxis can be found at the airport and ferry ports around ferry arrival times — particularly the first arrival of the day — and are scarce at other hours.
By ferry
It's easy to feel a little lost when first getting off the ferry at Miyanoura port. There's just a few people, not many tourists to follow, no apparent guides to help you get on a bus and no taxi.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Yakushima · Regional · KUM
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Yakushima and Japan.
Travel tipsCheck if you need a visa for Japan in 2026. Discover visa-exempt nationalities, eVisa eligibility, stay durations, and how to use Visit Japan Web QR codes.
7 min read
Travel tipsPlan for Japan's new travel costs in 2026. Learn about the ¥3,000 international departure tax, tiered hotel taxes in Kyoto, and Mt Fuji trail fees.
7 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
ItinerariesPlan a trip to Japan with kids in 2026. Discover a family-tested 10-day itinerary with theme parks, bullet trains, and practical parenting tips.
8 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.