The Best 4-Day 3-Night Trip to Yakushima! A Story of Being Healed by the World of Princess Mononoke and the Jomon Sugi Cedar ✨
This is a bit different from my usual posts, but please listen—a story about being healed by nature
Hello, I'm
Merukaku🌟
Today, it's a bit different from my usual content, but
I recently went to a place in Kagoshima called Yakushima.
It's a place rich in nature, and although not every year, my business partner has been there many times, and around July, they invited me saying, "Would you like to come along if you're interested?" 😊
At that time, I was a bit tired from work, so I said, "I'll go!" and went.
In conclusion, it was absolutely amazing💕
Seriously, it was just amazing.
Only for that time, I didn't open my computer for SNS or work, and since there was no signal for my smartphone, I didn't use it either; it's a place rich in nature.
It was an incredible place with mountains, the sea, and rivers all in one✨
I'd like to talk about that experience this time.
Trouble starts on July 17th 😅
The flight cancellation incident
I went from July 17th to the 20th.
July 17th. When I was about to board the plane, to my surprise, the flight was cancelled at 8:30 in the morning💦
It was 8:30 in the morning, you know. It was lucky that I happened to be in front of my computer, though.
When I checked immediately, it turned out to be a maintenance defect in the aircraft parts. It wasn't because of the weather or anything.
Emergency route change
Everyone was panicking because we had to suddenly cancel, and we had plans for that afternoon 💧
As soon as I looked into it, it turned out that we could get to Yakushima by taking the Shinkansen from Hakata in Fukuoka and then catching a ferry, so I quickly booked the ferry over the phone and shared the info with everyone.
Also, everyone just had to book the Shinkansen, we met in Hakata around 12:00 PM, took the Shinkansen from there to Kagoshima Station, moved by taxi, and arrived in Yakushima by ferry at 18:45, so we had some trouble right from the start 😅
It was really nerve-wracking. Everyone was getting a bit chaotic within the group, you know.
But even so, it was somehow fun ✨
Meeting at Hakata Station - New Encounters
Actually, it was a bit of a struggle, but we met at Hakata Station, took the Shinkansen, and had lunch with everyone there 🍽️
I only knew one of the women among them, as we had worked together before, maybe 5 or 6 years ago, but I didn't know anyone else so I introduced myself for the first time.
We introduced ourselves, and from there, Sakurajima, it's Sakurajima 🌋
We took lots of photos with Sakurajima in Kagoshima in the background, and from there, we boarded the ferry.
I actually quite like ferries. It took about two and a half hours, passing through Tanegashima (famous for its matchlock guns and rockets), and we arrived at a place called Anbo in Yakushima 🚢
Day 1: Flying Fish and a Starry Sky
When we arrived, my business partner, or rather the president, came to meet us. Since the president had arrived earlier, he was already there, and he said, "You all made it here safely," and took us out to eat at a delicious place 🐟
Flying fish is famous there, and we ate what's called sugata-yaki (whole grilled/fried fish), which is a huge flying fish fried in its original shape. We had some drinks and then the plan was to call it a night.
The Best Cottage
The hotel cottage was also really great, and there was a Goemon bath outside, where you could take a bath while looking at a starry sky ⭐
There was a bath inside too, but it was like that, and the hotel beds were spacious, and there was even a loft above.
At night, everyone gathered in one place again, in one of the rooms, and we drank together, talked about "Let's do this tomorrow" or "We're going to do this in Yakushima this time," and had a fun time before welcoming the next day 😊
Day 2: To the World of Princess Mononoke
Shiratani Unsuikyo - The World of Ghibli
The next day, we woke up around 7 AM and went to a place called Shiratani Unsuikyo 🌿
What is this, you ask? Princess Mononoke, do you all know it? Princess Mononoke, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. I don't think there's anyone who doesn't know it, that Ghibli film.
We went to the place that served as the inspiration for this, the forest areas and places with moss ✨
Walking in the Heavy Rain
It was pouring rain; I mean, it really rains a lot in Yakushima, doesn't it? ☔
It rained so much, then it cleared up, then it rained again—it was basically raining the whole time, so while we were soaking wet, we walked a bit through Shiratani Unsuikyo, where there was a hiking course.
The water flow was incredibly intense because of the rain, and it was just rushing everywhere. There are about three courses there, but because of the rain and the river flow being too strong, we could only do the easy course, but it was absolutely wonderful 💕
The cedars were huge, the place was rich in nature, the water was abundant, and everyone was snapping photos everywhere. We did a loop, soaked up plenty of negative ions, and it felt so good today too 🌲
We were soaking wet, but the bento box we had afterwards was so delicious. We ate rice balls afterwards, and they were just so tasty 🍙
A Miraculous Cafe Time
After that, since everyone was soaking wet, we went back to the hotel, took a bath, and then decided to go see the starry sky. We went to see the stars, and the starry sky was just incredibly beautiful ⭐
From there, we went cafe hopping, had a drink at a cafe, and since the person I was with wanted to stop by an aroma shop, we went to an aroma place to smell things like oils extracted from Yakusugi cedars and essential oils 🌿
A miracle happened
We went to a cafe at 3:00 PM ☕
When we got to the cafe, it just so happened that a performer had come to that cafe, playing a German instrument called, I think, a lyre.
There is an instrument called a lyre, and while playing it, they played Ghibli music. While listening to that, we were drinking coffee and feeling enchanted—it was such a beautiful tone 🎵
It felt like the sound was resonating throughout the cafe. The cafe only has about 8 seats, but it was full, and since we were a group of 7 taking seats, it was completely packed.
They only perform the lyre once a month. It just so happened to be that one time a month, and the performance was at 3:00 PM. We went there without knowing that, and being able to drink coffee while listening to it was truly a miracle ✨
Two things overlapped. The once-a-month event and the 3:00 PM timing matched perfectly, and we enjoyed our coffee while feeling enchanted. It was great.
Pilgrimage to Kenshi Yonezu's Sacred Sites
After that, we all ate dinner, went to the beach, had a meal, and watched the starry sky. That was also great, absolutely wonderful ⭐
The beach was so beautiful, truly stunning. Above all, the water was crystal clear and the waves were strong. It was the place that became the setting for Kenshi Yonezu's song 'Chikyuugi' (Spinning Globe) 🎵
We were just saying, 'Isn't that it? Isn't that the place?' while looking at the promotional video, and we got really excited about the places where Kenshi Yonezu sang, like 'This isn't it' and 'This is the place we went to at Shiratani Unsuikyo today' 😊
Day 3: Sea Turtle Egg-Laying and the Challenge of the Jomon Sugi
Watching Sea Turtles Lay Eggs
The next day, we went to see the starry sky again, and since we could also see sea turtles laying eggs there, we went to see that too 🐢
It was pitch black there, but seeing the little turtles poking their heads out from the beach and heading toward the ocean was just wonderful, so cute 💕
Waking up at 3:30 AM for the Jomon Sugi
After that day ended, the next day we woke up at 3:30 AM 😴
From there, we went to see the Jomon Sugi, which is said to be 7,200 years old, though there are various theories suggesting it might be around 2,000 years old, but it is definitely the largest of the Yakusugi cedars, so we went to see that 🌲
A Grueling 22km Round-Trip Trek
It was amazing. We woke up at 3:30, arrived around 4:30, and started at about 5:50, I think.
We took a bus—you can only get there by bus—and went near the site, where everyone got ready and started at around 5:50.
And it was a 22km round trip 💦
We walked the whole way. There was a trolley path, just a single trail, but surrounded by a vast cedar forest, and there were rivers with rushing water—it was just incredible.
A Life-Threatening Death Zone
We walked along the trolley path, just straight ahead for about 8 or 9 kilometers.
On the way, it wasn't exactly a death zone, but we walked across a terrifying suspension bridge, and there was another spot where we had to walk on a path only about 1 meter wide on the trolley tracks.
There was nothing on either side, and if you fell, you'd definitely die, swept away by the current. We had to cross about three spots like that, so my heart was pounding just crossing them 😱
It felt like that scene where you cross the battery on the bridge in Kaiji. Everyone was super focused when crossing those parts because if you fall, it's over, so there were three spots with a high probability of death.
Crossing those, I wouldn't say I felt fear, but it had been a while since my heart pounded like that.
The Heart of the Wilson Stump
After finally walking those 8 or 9 kilometers, we had to climb stairs and hike up a steep, zigzagging mountain path.
On the way, there is a place called Wilson's Stump, which is a massive hollowed-out cedar stump that you can actually go inside of 💕
Once inside, it feels like a cave. When you look up, you can see the sky cut out into a heart shape, which is very popular; Wilson's Stump is a hit, and everyone takes photos with the heart-shaped background 📸
Finally meeting the Jomon Sugi
From there, we worked hard to climb the steep sections. The final destination we reached was a huge cedar tree. A solitary cedar 🌲
There are about three deck observation platforms, and we all took photos from there. It was amazing, such a massive cedar tree.
Apparently, you used to be able to get closer, but now you can't go right up to it because the roots would become exposed, so you have to view it from a distance.
It was incredible. You can really feel the life force, thinking that it was here 2,000 or 3,000 years ago.
Looking at nature, you realize your own worries are so small. I really wanted to come back here again to see nature ✨
The grueling descent
We started our descent from there, but the fun only lasts a moment. Thinking, 'Do I really have to go back down the same path?' 💦
It's about 11 kilometers, so walking 11 kilometers back down the steep mountain path—I think I hurt my legs, or maybe my knees. I got muscle pain, so the descent was tough, and I had to favor my knees as I went down.
Finally, we walked along the trolley tracks again, power-walking together. We left at 5:50 AM and arrived at the Jomon Sugi around 1:00 PM, and from there, we headed back, power-walking and chatting along the trolley tracks.
We arrived around 4:30 PM. We kept a pretty fast pace 👍
Day 4: Oko-no-taki Waterfall and SUP experience
Oko-no-taki, one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls
The next day, I woke up at 5:30 AM and went to a place called Oko-no-taki, which is one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls, and the power of it was absolutely incredible 💪
The density of the spray was intense, and it was wonderful. We drank coffee there and even did a bit of meditation ☕
The waterfall was amazing; it felt like it had the power of life. The water flow was so strong.
Hirauchi Kaichu Onsen
On the way back, there was a mixed-gender bathing spot called Hirauchi Kaichu Onsen. It's amazing; it's a mixed bath, a hot spring you can enter right in the middle of the ocean ♨️
That part was amazing. There were actually couples in there, and you're not allowed to wear swimsuits. You can only really use a pareo or wrap a towel around you, so it's basically like going in stark naked.
I only peeked, but it was really great. It made me want to go in myself 😊
Kayaking and SUP Experience
We got back to the hotel at 7:30, and from there we went kayaking, and then did SUP—which is like surfing where you stand up—and we all went out to the river mouth while looking at the Yakushima river 🏄♂️
We had an instructor with us. The instructor was a very young woman who was so smiley and taught us very carefully. Being with her in that beautiful sea was just wonderful.
We went to the river mouth, and since we didn't have much time, we headed back. Once it hit around 10:30, we went to the Yakushima airport and headed back to Fukuoka ✈️
Traveling Between Reality and a Dream World in One Hour
But when you head back, it only takes a little over an hour to get there anyway.
Conversely, there were times when I returned to reality in just over an hour, but I thought, if I want to see that dream again, I can just get there in an hour so it made me want to work hard at my job 💪
Summary: The Effects of a Digital Detox
It was absolutely wonderful. I want to go to Yakushima again ✨
There are still a few places I want to see, like Taiko Iwa, or was it Shiratani? There are places like that, and I'd like to visit them too.
There are many other highlights, so if you're going to Yakushima, everyone, there are so many places to see, so it might be good to hire a guide or something 👍
Remembering Our True Human Nature
It's definitely fun, and since it's a place rich in nature, and humans originally lived in forests, when you go there, something inside you gets stirred up—not exactly a feeling of nostalgia, but it makes you feel like I want to come back here again 🌿
Recommended for Everyone
Everyone, we use our smartphones every day, but why not try putting them away for a 3 or 4-day vacation to Yakushima? There's no signal there, so you can try a digital detox and get healed 📱→🌲
Reviewing Today's Key Points
✅ The importance of a digital detox in nature ✅
Shiratani Unsuikyo, where you can experience the world of Princess Mononoke ✅
Changing your outlook on life with the 22km Jomon Sugi trek ✅ Miraculous encounters
(lyre performances, sea turtles, etc.) ✅ The charm of Yakushima as an extraordinary place just an hour away
When you're tired of work, or tired of your smartphone or computer, please try the experience of reclaiming your true self in Yakushima 😊
Thank you for reading until the end today!
