Yakushima, Japan Adventure - Mountain

Other photos available from a Yakushima adventure: Yaku-sugi Trees; Waters of Yakushima; also Yakushima Forests.
Also, read more about the World Heritage, park, and ecosystem of Yakushima here.

Yakushima photos - The Mountain

Yakushima is an island - to drive around the perimeter is a task of only a couple hours (it's slow going). The island has roughly a diameter of 26 kilometers, and the tall peak that rises in the center reaches close to 2000 meters. This is Miyanoura-dake (Miyanoura Peak).

A remnant of a bygone era: this logging train was used to get timber, the felled giant cedar trees, down the mountain easier through the difficult terrain. Now it is used by national park workers to maintain the park. This is Kirishima Yaku National Park. (Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan)

Trailhead, and direction indications about moving around the high parts of the island. This is Miyanoura-dake hiking trailhead.

Climbing up, first you must pass through the thick rain forest. But the mountain is very tall. Continuing up, you reach a level where the clouds dissipate, there is less frequent rain, and the ecosystem and climate change. Here there are fewer tall trees, more meadows.

Here are some deer in the meadow on Miyanoura-dake

Signs point to summit (right), and other trail (left). This is Hana-no-Ike River.

Miyanoura-dake, peak of Yakushima

Impressive views from the summit, looking down on the rainforest clouds.

a look at the neighbor peak on Yakushima.