Haruki has guided visitors through Yakushima's forests for 18 years. He was born on the island, studied forestry in Kagoshima, and came back because — as he puts it — "the trees called me home." He speaks quietly, walks slowly, and knows the name of every significant cedar on the island.
"The combination. Yakushima is a small island — only 500 square kilometers — but it has climate zones from subtropical coast to subarctic mountaintop. The mountain interior gets 10,000mm of rain a year. The granite bedrock is poor in nutrients. These conditions create trees that grow extremely slowly.
A cedar on the mainland might reach full size in 300 years. On Yakushima, the same species takes 1,000 years. The growth rings are so tight that the wood is incredibly dense and resistant to decay. That's why the Jomon Sugi has survived for 2,000 years minimum — some estimates say 7,000.
The rain creates the moss. The moss retains the moisture. The moisture feeds the forest. It's a closed system that has been running for millions of years."
"It's the oldest known living tree in Japan — trunk circumference 16.4 meters, height 25.3 meters. The age estimates range from 2,170 to 7,200 years because we can't core-sample it (it's a national monument) and the center has rotted away, which makes ring counting impossible.
What most visitors don't understand: the Jomon Sugi isn't remarkable because it's big. It's remarkable because it survived. Yakushima's cedar forests were heavily logged during the Edo period (1600-1868) for roof shingles. The loggers left the Jomon Sugi because it was too gnarled and twisted for timber. Its imperfection saved it.
I think about that a lot. The tree that was useless to the loggers became the most famous tree in Japan."
"Mixed. Most visitors are respectful. They make the long walk — 22km round trip, 8-11 hours — and by the time they reach the viewing platform, they're tired, emotional, and quiet. That's the right state to be in.
But some visitors arrive, take a selfie, and leave within 2 minutes. They've done the hike for the photo, not the tree. I've had people ask if there's a closer parking area. There is no parking area. There is an 11km walk through ancient forest. The walk IS the experience.
The best moments: when someone stands at the viewing platform and doesn't lift their phone for 5 minutes. When they just look. The Jomon Sugi rewards looking."
"Hayao Miyazaki visited Yakushima in the early 1990s during the development of Princess Mononoke. The Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine — specifically the moss forest section — inspired the forest scenes in the film.
This has created a tourism boom. 300,000+ visitors per year come partly because of the Studio Ghibli connection. I have mixed feelings. The attention brings conservation funding. But the foot traffic damages the moss — some areas have been roped off because tourists walking off-trail crushed 200-year-old moss beds in a single season.
Moss grows at maybe 1mm per year. A footprint takes 200 years to recover.
I tell visitors: stay on the trail. The forest looks the same from the boardwalk as it does from the moss bed. But the moss knows the difference."
"Yaku Saru — the Yakushima macaques. The island has about 6,000 of them and they're subspecies-unique to the island. Most visitors see them on the road and drive past. But if you sit quietly near the Yakusugi Land area in the morning — just sit, don't approach — a troop will walk through and you can watch their social dynamics for an hour.
The dominant females control the troop. The males are loud but not in charge. The babies ride on their mothers' backs. It's fascinating sociology if you have patience.
Also, Nagata Inaka-hama beach on the north coast. Loggerhead and green sea turtles nest here May to August. At night, during nesting season, you can watch a 100kg turtle drag herself up the beach, dig a nest, lay 80-100 eggs, cover them, and return to the ocean. Guided observation tours run from 8PM (JPY 2,000, reservation required). No flash photography. No approaching within 5 meters.
That turtle has been making this journey for 30+ years. She was nesting here before you were born. That deserves quiet."
"Physical fitness for the Jomon Sugi trek — 22km is serious, and the last section is steep. Hiking boots, not sneakers. Rain gear regardless of forecast — Yakushima creates its own weather.
But mostly: prepare mentally. This is not a theme park forest. These trees are alive and they are old beyond human comprehension. The Jomon Sugi was growing when Egypt was building pyramids. When Rome fell, this tree was already 3,000 years old. When you stand in front of it, you are standing in front of deep time.
That's not something you photograph. It's something you absorb.
Bring the camera. But spend 10 minutes with it in your pocket."
"Climate change. Yakushima's moss forests depend on a very specific rainfall and temperature pattern. If the island warms by 2 degrees — which current projections suggest by 2060 — the moss will retreat uphill, the cedar growth pattern will change, and the forest that has existed for millions of years will look different.
Also, visitor numbers. Pre-COVID, the Jomon Sugi trail had 300+ hikers on busy days. The trail is narrow. The viewing platform holds maybe 20 people. The experience degrades when it's crowded. The island needs to implement reservation limits — Shiratani Unsuikyo now has a JPY 500 conservation fee, which is a start.
Yakushima is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. But UNESCO status brings visitors, and visitors bring impact. The balance is difficult.
I tell every group: this forest has been here for a million years. You are here for a few hours. Walk lightly."
