In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yakushima
屋久島
Go for 2 nights minimum: one full day for the Shiratani Unsuikyo forest, one for the coast. Skip the Jomon Sugi hike unless you want a 10-hour day.
Yakushima is a round granite island off southern Kyushu, 2 hours by jetfoil from Kagoshima, with mossy yakusugi cedar forest, deer and monkeys, and one road around the coast. Most visitors come to walk; the island is one of Japan's rainiest places, so plan around rain rather than avoiding it. Two nights covers the main forest and the coast; three nights adds the Jomon Sugi trek.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 屋久島
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Jul (rainy season), Aug–Sep (typhoons)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥12,000–20,000 excl. bed · High ¥20,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup or set lunch | ¥800–1,500 |
| Beer: draught / can at a shop | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Bus, Miyanoura to Arakawa trailhead | ¥1,400 one way |
| Shiratani Unsuikyo trail entry | ¥800 |
| Yakusugi Museum entry | ¥600 |
| Rental scooter (50cc), 1 day | about ¥4,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KUM · Yakushima Airport
- Flights from Kagoshima (about 35 min), Fukuoka and Osaka Itami; the airport sits between Miyanoura and Anbo on the coastal road.
Typical fares
- Jetfoil Kagoshima → Miyanoura
- about ¥13,000 one way, about 2 h (check)
- Bus Miyanoura → Arakawa trailhead
- ¥1,400 one way, 4 buses a day (check)
- Taxi, Miyanoura port → Anbo
- ¥4,000–5,000 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
One coastal road circles the island in about 3 hours by car. Buses run roughly hourly 07:00–18:00 on the coast, but only 4 a day reach the Arakawa trailhead, 2 to Yakusugiland and 6 to Shiratani Unsuikyo. A rental car or scooter is the practical choice; book ahead in season. An unlimited bus pass costs ¥2,500 (1 day), ¥4,000 (2 days) or ¥5,000 (4 days) as of 2026 (check).One coastal road circles the island in about 3 hours by car. Buses run roughly hourly 7:00 AM–6:00 PM on the coast, but only 4 a day reach the Arakawa trailhead, 2 to Yakusugiland and 6 to Shiratani Unsuikyo. A rental car or scooter is the practical choice; book ahead in season. An unlimited bus pass costs ¥2,500 (1 day), ¥4,000 (2 days) or ¥5,000 (4 days) as of 2026 (check).
See and do
Known for
- Yakusugi cedar forest
- Shiratani Unsuikyo gorge
- Jomon Sugi tree
- Ooko-no-taki waterfall
- Sea turtles at Nagata beach
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tanegashima | Jetfoil or ferry from Miyanoura or Anbo | About 1–2 h crossing plus port time |
| Kagoshima | Jetfoil from Miyanoura or Anbo, about 2 h | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Miyanoura
- Main port and ferry terminal; most restaurants, shops and the tourist information centre. Best for a first visit without a car.
- Anbo
- Second port on the south-east coast, closer to the Yakusugi Museum and the Arakawa trailhead road. Quieter, fewer places to eat.
- Nagata and the west coast
- Beach and turtle-nesting area; very few beds and almost no evening food. Only with a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the bus stop? | バス停はどこですか？basutei wa doko desu ka |
| Is the ferry running today? | 今日、フェリーは動いていますか？kyō, ferī wa ugoite imasu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Rain is normal: measurable precipitation on about half the days of the year. Bring a shell and dry bags, and treat any forecast as provisional.
- Jetfoil and ferry crossings are cancelled when waves exceed about 3 m; keep a buffer day before a flight home.
- Cash up before you arrive. The reliable ATM is at the post office, a 30-minute walk from Miyanoura port.
- Do not feed or approach the monkeys; they are not habituated to handouts and should stay that way.
- Trailhead buses are few and fill up; the last return bus leaves early afternoon.
- Turtle watching at Nagata is a rare, early-hours event (roughly late May–Aug, 01:00–02:00) and only with a licensed guide and red light.
Very low crime; the real risks are weather, trail fatigue and the last bus. Tell someone your route before any forest hike and carry rain gear even on a clear morning.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yakushima yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yakusugi cedar forest
- Shiratani Unsuikyo gorge
- Jomon Sugi tree
- Ooko-no-taki waterfall
- Sea turtles at Nagata beach
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yakushima Tourism Association: yakukan.jp/
- Yakushima Town: www.town.yakushima.kagoshima.jp/
- Yakushima Kotsu (buses and tours): yakushima.co.jp/
- Tane Yaku Kousoku (jetfoil and ferry): www.tykousoku.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Yakushima, revision 5305728 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5305728
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yakushima屋久島
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; consulates-general are in Fukuoka and Kagoshima, embassies in Tokyo (check).
Carry cash: card acceptance is limited outside Miyanoura.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yakushima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.