Tacchu Dake: The Hike with
Everything?
There is a saying that travelers would do well to skip the most famous destination and head for the second most famous attration. In Yakushima, that's Tacchu Dake. You'll enjoy all the beauty of Yakusugiland plus the rejuvinating feeling of hiking uncrowded trails that will test your balance. The pristine forest is full of ancient Yakusugi trees and fresh mountain air. At the top, you'll use a fixed rope to climb onto a large slab at the base of the so-called celestial pillar, a natural 40-meter tall monolith. You can see the shrines visited by annual pilgrimages from the town of Anbo, and, if the weather is good, you can look out of over the valley and lower mountains to the sea beyond. It's easy to understand why this area is spiritually revered, but you don't have to be the spiritual type to enjoy the massive gnarled trees, boulders, and fresh air.
Stand beside the natural 40-meter tall monolith
that crowns Tacchu Dake.
Start in Yakusugiland, in the valley of the
moody Arakawa River.. .
. . . where clouds and fog nurture ancient mossy
forests. . .
Old stumps shelter both deer and a new
generation of trees.
Gnarled roots have fought to grab the rocky
ground.
The realm of ancient Yakusugi trees awaits you.
There is a saying that travelers would do well to skip the most famous destination and head for the second most famous attration. In Yakushima, that's Tacchu Dake. You'll enjoy all the beauty of Yakusugiland plus the rejuvinating feeling of hiking uncrowded trails that will test your balance. The pristine forest is full of ancient Yakusugi trees and fresh mountain air. At the top, you'll use a fixed rope to climb onto a large slab at the base of the so-called celestial pillar, a natural 40-meter tall monolith. You can see the shrines visited by annual pilgrimages from the town of Anbo, and, if the weather is good, you can look out of over the valley and lower mountains to the sea beyond. It's easy to understand why this area is spiritually revered, but you don't have to be the spiritual type to enjoy the massive gnarled trees, boulders, and fresh air.
Stand beside the natural 40-meter tall monolith
that crowns Tacchu Dake.
Start in Yakusugiland, in the valley of the
moody Arakawa River.. .
. . . where clouds and fog nurture ancient mossy
forests. . .
Old stumps shelter both deer and a new
generation of trees.
Gnarled roots have fought to grab the rocky
ground.
The realm of ancient Yakusugi trees awaits you.
Links:
- Certified Guide List
- Yakusugiland Town Page
- Hiking Notification
- Brochure and Island Map
- Yakushima Life Page
Content last updated in 2020.
- Experience Level:
- Intermediate
-Fixed ropes to assist scrambling. - Trail Head Access:
- Car or Taxi
- Time:
- 6~8 Hours
- Round Trip Distance:
- 8 km
- Trail Head Elevation:
- 980 m
- Peak Elevation:
- 1479 m
| Deer/Monkey Sightings | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Yakusugi Trees | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Mossy Forests | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Vista Views | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Endurance | ⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠ |
| Strength & Technicality | ⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠ |
| Crowds | ⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠ |
| Weather Cancellations | ⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠ (Road closures do to extreme rain, high winds, etc.) |
- Costs:
- This trail crosses between Yaksugiland into the World Heritage Site,
but has in some ways been adopted by Yaksugiland, so (as of 2020) it's fine to
drop the park donation () in the can at the entrance. If the attendant is there, you can get a map and a postcard/receipt.
For a guided hike expect to pay from ¥10,000 to ¥25,000 depending on season, number of hikers, options, etc.
The cost of a taxi from Anbo runs around ¥5,000 (2020) each way. ¥100 is recommended for use of town-operated toilets at the trail head. - Getting to the Trailhead (GPS coords: 30.3048, 130.59952):
- You can take a taxi or drive. If you watch your time, it is possible to take a taxi one way and a bus the other, but you can't take a bus both directions. Most leave the trail head in the early morning, often around 7am or 8am.
- Toilets:
- ¥100 is recommended for use of town-operated toilets at the trail head. Bring a toilet kit (wag bag) for use along the trail and carry out all waste and toilet paper.
- Also of interest:
- Yakusugiland, Kigen Sugi
- Equipment List:
- Water Bottle, Lunch + Snacks, Headlamp + Batteries, First Aid Kit, Map, Compass, GPS, Rain Jacket + Rain Pants, Hiking Boots, Spare Jacket, Disposable Toilet Kit, etc.
- The Hike:
- The first half hour of this hike is, literally, a walk in the park, but you'll start climbing on rougher terrain as you near
the back of Yaksugiland. Watch the signs, espcially within Yaksugiland, as there are several forks. A short down-hill jaunt from Tenmon no Mori
brings you to the beautiful stream passing by the ancient tree called Shaka Sugi. This area is so beaufitul that I sometimes choose
this is a final destination to a shorter hike. In addition to Yaksugi, the fir and Tsuga hemlock trees are also very large, especially in
the area where you enter the World Heritage Site. Keep your eyes/ears open for the stream on your left. There is an easy place to walk down to
it, and it is the last water hole. From the stream comes a rather intence ascent up to a large boulder at 1.0 km from the peak,
which offers great shelter in the stormy weather so common in Yakusugiland. Beyond the boulder you'll work your way on around
the forest to the first fixed rope which will bring you to the ridge of the mountain, which is one of my favorite, feel-good spots in Yakushima.
There's some more light scrambling around the real peak, and then you'll actually head just a little bit downwards to the monolith at the
end of this hike. You cannot climb the monolith, but you can climb onto the alter-like boulder beside it for amazing scenery (or a nap).
Or, in lieu of climbing the rope to the alter-like boulder, you can follow around it's base to the other side of the monolith, where you'll find
the shrine. (Just be careful of loose rocks—the shrine isn't set up for tourism.)
On your way down, if you turn left at the 150-minute trail, and then right at the 80-minute trail, there will be a large log on the right, and then rocky access to the river on the left. At time of writing, this is a great place to dip your feet in the water if the water is calm. - In the case of bad weather
- The safest and fastest escape route is the same way you came. Depending on your carrier, there is cellphone service around the front of Yakusugiland and near the peak. The trail is usually muddy, but hikeable except in extreme rains and snow, and the final approach may be skipped in cases of high wind.