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NEWSLETTER Issue #25 MAY 2010

WELCOME TO THE such lengths to disturb your travel plans. Well

the answer is simple...
START OF THE BUSY
SEASON!
Golden week is about to bring
a bumper load of visitors to
Yakushima and hails the start
of hiking season proper on the
island.
This month there are therefore
lots of events to cover but there are also a
number of access problems to consider if you People.
are visiting in May: Far too many people.
In 2000 there were 29,700 hikers on the trail
Arakawa Trail Entrance to Jomon Sugi. In 2006, this rose to 63,200
and in 2008 a massive increase brought the
Travel Restrictions number to 92,600.
The stretch of road between Arakawa Junction If any of you have ever been to the Arakawa
and the Arakawa Trail Entrance is now Trail Entrance, you would know that it has a
permanently closed to private traffic up until tiny car park and
November 30th 2010. just can't cope
with the recent
This means that you will not be able to drive a
hired car up to the Trail Entrance. There is a numbers of In this Issue
barrier after the car park in front of Yakusugi visitors.
Museum a few kilometres up the mountain Inconvenient as it
road from Anbo. The parking here is free may be, this • Arakawa Trail
should you have your own transport but the system is Entrance
only way you can get to the Trail entrance therefore a restrictions
from here is by shuttle bus, organised coach necessity for the
or taxi. very survival of • Turtle nesting
the island. season begins
Please note that this does not affect traffic
going up to Yakusugiland or the Yodogawa So here are the • The 2 Day march
Trail Entrance – only the spur road that leads details of what
off to Arakawa Trail Entrance. • Shakunage Tozan
you need to do to
Why you may ask have the authorities gone to get to the
Arakawa Trail
 Anbo Tourist If you don't use the
Information Centre ticket, you can get a
[Tel: 46-2333] 8.30am – refund from the
5pm Tourist Information
Centres before 10th
Entrance: Entrance and costs Yakusugi Museum, Dec 2010.
¥870 one way and Anbo [Tel: 46-3113] 9am
By taxi: Taxis can be – 6pm
¥1700 return for Here's the Shuttle
arranged beforehand
adults and ¥340 one bus Timetable:
but they need a Yakushima
way and ¥650 return Environmental
special one way
for children. The Culture Village From Yakusugi
'ticket' which costs
journey time is 40 Centre, Miyanoura museum car park: 6
¥200 per adult and
minutes. [Tel: 42-2900] 9am – 6pm buses a day at these
without which they
will not be allowed
The bus ticket
up. The Arakawa access restrictions (The red part is closed)
can only be
The name of the bought no later
ticket is the than the day
'Jomonsugi – before your trip
Arakawa sen riyo and cannot be
ticket'. You must bought outside
purchase this ticket(s) the island.
no later than the day
Tickets for both
before your trip and
taxis and the bus
they cannot be bought
can be found at
outside of the island.
the following
The taxi companies places on
themselves are now Yakushima:
authorised to sell
Airport Tourist
these tickets.
Information
Centre [Tel: 49-
By bus: A shuttle bus 4010] 8.30am – 6pm
called the 'Arakawa
Tozan bus' runs from Miyanoura Tourist Nakagawa Sports, times - 4.40am, 5am,
Yakusugi museum to Information Centre Miyanoura [Tel: 42- 5.20am, 5.40am
Arakawa Trail [Tel: 42-1019] 8.30am – 0341] 9am – 7pm (connects with the
5pm Matsubanda bus), 6.00
Mori-no-hidamari,
am (connects with the
Anbo [Tel: 49-7101]
7.30am - 7pm Yakushima Kotsu
bus), 12.30pm.
JR Hotel, Onoaida
[Tel: 47-2011] 7am – 10pm From Arakawa Trail
Yakushima Youth Entrance: 11 buses a
Hostel, Hirauchi [Tel: day at these times -
47-3751] 7am - 9pm 7am, 1.30pm, 2.30pm
(connects with the
You can also try any Yakushima Kotsu
convenience store. bus), 3pm, 3.30pm,
4pm, 4.20pm is held. Day 1 is based
(connects with the around Shiratani and
Matsubanda bus), Miyanoura and has a
4.40pm , 5pm variety of organized
(connects with the courses. Day 2 is
Yakushima Kotsu based around
bus), 5.30pm and 6pm waterfalls and National
Heritage.

Shakunage If you are visiting at

this time, this would
Tozan explain why groups of
people are hiking
along the road.
If you are interested in
joining in the march, Center runs a nightly Updates on the
information is on the program of viewing information in the
website. nesting turtles but this guide book will be on
gets very busy so pre- yakumonkey.com
book at the tourist website at 'the guide
information office or book page' link.
via your
accommodation. There
Yakushima is famous are more details about
for its Rhododendrons this in the guide book.
and the Shakunage
Tozan is an organized Yakushima: A
hike up into the Yakumonkey Guide
mountains in groups
accompanied by The guide book
guides. It takes place contains a whole
on Sat May 29th and wealth of information
goes to Miyanoura on Yakushima and is
dake, Kuroimi dake, available online from a
Nageishi daira and Should you come
wide range of sellers in across any changes to
Hana-no-eigo marsh. many countries. details in the guide
Should you wish to book, please let me
It's also available on
join the hike you need know at
Yakushima in
to apply before May yakumonkey.com, and
Yakusugiland and
13th and it costs ¥6,000 It's turtle Kashima Kougei in I can make the
for adults. More details season! necessary changes and
Anbo.
in the website. then inform everyone
Sat May 15th sees the Should you have any else.
Yakushima 2 official start of the difficulty locating a
Copyright © Clive
Day March turtle season at copy of the guide let
Witham 2010
Inakahama beach in me know and I will see
On May 15th and 16th Nagata. The if I can help.
the annual 2 day march Yakushima Umigame