Yakushima

屋久島

Islands · Kagoshima

Located off the southern tip of Kyushu in Kagoshima Prefecture, Yakushima is a mountainous island covered in ancient cedar forests, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Its moss-covered Shiratani Unsuikyo ravine is said to have inspired Princess Mononoke, and hikers trek for hours to meet Jomon Sugi, a cedar thought to be thousands of years old.

TikTok video of August 8, 2026