Hike out of Yakusugiland through a forest full of ancient trees on a physically interesting trail to the "celestial pillar" that can be seen from the town of Anbo.
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.
to Book This Hike!
| Time: 6~8 Hours | |
| Includes: Boxed bento-lunch with a hot beverage | |
| Deer/Monkey Sightings | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Yakusugi Trees | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Mossy Forests | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Vista Views | ☆☆☆☆ |
| Endurance | ⚠⚠⚠▵▵ |
| Strength & Technicality | ⚠⚠⚠▵▵ |
| Crowds | ⚠⚠▵▵▵ |
| Weather Cancellations | ⚠⚠▵▵▵ (Road closures do to extreme rain, high winds, etc.) |
Price per hiker:
| 1 hiker: ¥17000 + ¥500 park donation |
| 2 hikers: ¥13000 + ¥500 park donation |
| 3+ hikers: ¥11000 + ¥500 park donation |
| *Suggested toilet donation: 100 yen. |
| *When hiking with others, please stay with the group. |
- Accident insurance
- Free hotel pick-up/drop-off
- Japanese boxed bento breakfast and lunch
What to Pack
- Backpack*
- At least big enough to stash your rain gear and your water bottle. You'll want your hands free. A rain-cover is also nice, but please don't rely on it to keep your things dry! Alternatively, you can keep your things inside a plastic bag inside your backpack.
- Rain Gear*
- Including pants a jacket. It may be sunny in town, but cold and rainy in the mountains. A cheap poncho is NOT okay!
- Appropriate Clothes
- Quick drying synthetic materials are advised. No jean pants, please. Warm layered clothes especially in fall and winter.
- Hiking Shoes or Boots*
- Sneakers are okay only if you don't mind getting them muddy and slipping on rocks.
- Water Bottle
- One or two 500mL plastic PET bottles is fine. There's plenty of natural, potable water along the trail.
Optional
- Gloves, towel, personal items and medications, snacks for the trail, camera and ziploc bag folding umbrella for eating or taking photos.
- You probably won't need sunscreen unless you are very sensitive. Bugs don't tend to be enough of a problem to warrant bug repellent, but please don't wear perfume. There are no bears in Yakushima.
About this hike:
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.
For more info, you can see my blog post about Tacchu Dake.
In the case of bad weather
This hike will be canceled if a severe weather warning is issued, in cases of extreme rains or winds or if the road to the trail head is icey. If no weather warning is issued, I may suggest a shorter hike around Yakusugiland or a hike up to Taiko Iwa as an alternative.