Yakushima: Jomon Sugi Trek 1 [縄文杉🌲] 5K 360° VR

Start Trek: 0620AM

00:00 Busstop Arakawa Trailhead 荒川登山口バス停
03:15 Cave 洞窟
10:42 Bridge 橋
20:20 Bridge 橋

Jomon Sugi is the most famous of the Yaku sugi trees, which is why it attracts hoards of visitors every year. The Japanese make what resembles a pilgrimage to the country’s oldest tree, and also one of nature’s oldest living monuments.

In the winter you may be lucky to pass only a handful of fellow trekkers, but in the peak season of Golden Week (early May), early August or the national holiday in September then you will be sharing the trail with hundreds of others. From spring through to late autumn you can expect the trail to be crowded at weekends though less so during the week.

Jomon Sugi is estimated to be anywhere between 2,200 and 7,200 years old and is presumed to be the eldest of the remaining Yaku sugi trees. Due to the numbers that wish to see it, and in order to protect its extensive root system, two viewing decks are situated some distance from the tree itself and you cannot go beyond these viewing decks. Long gone are the days when you could actually touch the tree! The first viewing deck was erected in 1996.