Yakushima Island Day 1

Today we drive up into the mountains for some hiking.

"Yakushima is renowned for its lush vegetation.  Most of the island has at one time or another been logged (dating back at least 400 years), but has been extensively replanted and reseeded since logging ended in the late 1960s, at which time a conservation regime was established.  In addition to this secondary forest, there are some remaining areas of primary forest, never logged, composed mainly of a variety of Cryptomeria japonica, or Japanese cedar, known as yakusugi, the best known single example of which is named the Jōmon Sugi (2300 years old)." 

We study the map at the entrance - the trails are well marked, but rugged in places (rock hopping, root scrambling, stream crossing).

Big cedars abound, and cedar stumps as well - some new trees sprouted from seeds dropped onto the stumps.

Here's another old stump, maybe a 2,000 year old tree cut 300 years ago.

The trail goes right under this living cedar.

"The Yakushima macaque (Macaca fuscata yakui) is a subspecies of Japanese macaque indigenous to Yakushima Island."

Here the trail started becoming really rugged and you had to step carefully to find a good foot placement.

The end of this trail gives a good viewpoint of some of the interior of the island.

A big old fallen stump...

Coming back down the trail "threading the loop" again...and finding another stump with a fairly large cedar growing on top with really complex intertwined roots reaching down around the stump.

Yet another stump, big enough to take shelter inside.

Tiny flora, and big flora (at least it was, now it's another stump).

We rate this hike a big thumbs up.

Dinner is found along a river...