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NEWSLETTER Issue #7 JULY 2009

THE ECLIPSE Yakushima is in Onoaida where it will last 4

min 6 seconds. Next best is at Kamiyama
school in Hara which is eclipsed at almost
The major event for July is the eclipse of the
exactly 10.56 for 3 min 51 secs.
sun which takes place in the morning of July
22nd. It has been the
cause of much debate
in Yakushima about
how to balance the
delicacy of nature
with the expected
numbers of eclipse
watchers. In the end a
lottery system was
created so that 4,500
special ticket holders
could see the eclipse
in Yakushima. Any
more and the island's
infrastructure would
be unable to hold up
under the strain.
Watch out for the Yakushima eclipse
As a result of this from July 19th to July 25th
souvenirs. There are special edition bottles of
access by ferry and jet foil is controlled by the
Shochu which are
town hall. If you do not have permission, you
presented in their
may be denied boarding during these dates.
very own eclipse
Flights do not have the same restrictions
although they sold out long ago.
boxes. In this Issue
As can be seen from the illustration above the
trajectory of the eclipse runs over Yakushima
and many of the smaller islands of the Ryukyu • The Eclipse
island chain. • Road Closures
• Shuttle bus
There are also
limited edition • Summer festivals
eclipse stamps to • Sea Turtles
collect.
The best place to see the eclipse on
 Summer Arakawa bought the day
before at the
6 buses - 4.45am,
5am, 5.15am, 5.30am
Festivals Trail following places: (connects with the
July 18th Hirauchi Entrance • Airport
Matsubanda bus), 5.45
am (connects with the
Seaside onsen festival Travel Tourist Information
Yakushima Kotsu
is from 6 pm. Centre [Tel: 49-4010]
Restrictions Open 8.30am – 6pm
bus), 6am.

The stretch of road • Miyanoura From Arakawa Trail

between Arakawa Tourist Information Entrance: 13 buses -
junction and the Centre [Tel: 42-1019] 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3pm,
Arakawa Trail Open 8.30am – 5pm 3.30pm, 3.45pm, 4pm,
Entrance is closed to • Anbo Tourist 4.15pm, 4.30pm
July 19th 'Hama' traffic and walkers Information Centre (connects with the
festival at Isso port. from July18th to [Tel: 46-2333] Open Matsubanda bus),
There is a boat parade September 22nd for a 8.30am – 5pm 4.45pm, 5pm
from 9 am and from total of 67 days. The (connects with the
10.30 am there is a only way you can get • Yakusugi Yakushima Kotsu
fish market and show. to the Trail entrance Museum [Tel: 46- bus), 5.15pm, 5.30pm
is by shuttle bus, 3113] Open 9am – and 6pm.
organised coach or 6pm
taxi. • Yakushima
Environmental Turtle egg
By taxi: Taxis need a Culture Village
special 'ticket' which Centre [Tel: 42-2900]
laying season
costs 250 yen and Open 9am - 6pm continues
without it will not be
July 19th & 20th Anbo If you don't use the
allowed up.
festival begins at 7 pm ticket, you can get a
in Anbo port. The refund. One half of the
By bus: A shuttle bus
fireworks are on the ticket is retained and
will run from
20th. is a coupon for use in
Yakusugi museum to
Yakushima (so don't
Arakawa Trail
throw it away!)
Entrance and will cost
(one way) ¥1000 for
adults and ¥500 for
Yakushima is a place
(Elementary School)
of international
children. If you
importance when it
intend on returning on
comes to turtles. Last
the bus you must
year the beaches in
purchase two one-
Nagata saw around
way tickets prior to 5,700 turtles landings,
travelling. The Shuttle bus 3,000 of which laid
Timetable: eggs.
Both of the above
tickets for the taxi From Yakusugi If you wish to see the
and bus can only be museum car park: spectacular sight of a
turtle laying its eggs, repairs to winter to sell it way above the and I can then inform
the Yakushima damage are expected published price. everyone else.
Umigame Center runs to be completed. But
a nightly program of also note that if there In Japan, amazon.co.jp Thank you.
lecture/video/viewing is heavy rainfall bring the price up and
at Inagahama beach in (continuous rainfall of down like a yo-yo.
Nagata. This gets very 100 mm or more) the
In the US, Barnes and
busy so it is now road will be closed.
Noble have it at
necessary to pre-book
$14.15 and lulu.com at
at the tourist So be prepared with a
$15.38.
information office or plan B should the
via your access be restricted. In Europe, you should
accommodation. One way would be to be able to find it for
climb up the around €12.50 or
The numbers of turtles Kusugawa trail to £10.95.
coming ashore to lay Shiratani and avoid the
eggs gradually road altogether. Should you have any
dwindles as the month difficulty locating a Copyright © Clive
progresses and by the copy of the guide Witham 2009
end of July the Yakumonkey wherever you may be
Umigame center stops
the viewing program. Guide on sale let me know and I will
see if I can help.
in Yakushima
There are more details Updates on the
about the whole turtle The guide book is now information in the
visit experience in the available to buy in guide book will be on
guide book. Yakushima in the trail yakumonkey.com
store at Yakusugiland website at 'the guide
Shiratani and other outlets on book page' link.
the island.
Unsuikyo Changes so far are to
Access Road parts of the
Matsubanda bus
The road to Shiratani timetable which was
from Miyanoura is revised after the guide
still only open to book was published.
traffic between 8 am Also the relocation of
and 5 pm until July 'Andes' hiking store in
31st. Anbo and the closure
of Cafe Green
Shower in Yudomari.
If you come across any
changes to details in
the guide book, please
If you buy it elsewhere
look around for the let me know at
lowest price as some www.yakumonkey.com
After this time the booksellers are trying