What is the best season in Yakushima? Features of each season and recommended tours!

Best season in Yakushima

The best season for Yakushima, with its spectacular natural beauty, depends on what your purpose is in visiting the island.

The natural scenery of Yakushima changes with the seasons, so you will be able to feel the vitality of the forest in various scenes.

New buds sprout in the mountains, colorful flowers bloom, and the abundant rainfall transforms them into clear, beautiful streams.

Also, when the weather turns cool, the trees in the forests turn red, and when the weather turns cold, the mountains are covered with snow.

Therefore, it can be said that the best season for Yakushima cannot be decided at this time of the year, but that there are various enjoyable things to do depending on your purpose and the season.

In this issue, we would like to introduce the best season for Yakushima, so please refer to the following information!

 

What kind of island is Yakushima?

Yakushima Island is located approximately 60 km out to sea from the southernmost tip of Kagoshima Prefecture.

The nearly circular pentagonal island has an area of 504.88㎢ and a circumference of approximately 132 km, and is rich and beautiful in nature.

Because the moist winds from the ocean hit the mountains, they are blessed with an abundance of running water and springs.

In addition, approximately 21% of Yakushima's natural ecosystem, including the native Yakusugi cedar forests, including Mt. Miyanoura, is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The vegetation in the mountains, which approach 2,000 m in elevation, changes with altitude, including shii, Japanese white birch, Yakusugi cedar, and sasa (Japanese bamboo).

 

How to get to Yakushima

There are several ways to get to Yakushima: by plane, bullet train, or ship.

Airplanes offer direct flights to Yakushima from Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima.

If you are coming from other regions, you will need to make connections at these airports.

If you take the Shinkansen or limited express train, you can change planes from each region to Yakushima at Kagoshima Chuo Station.

If you use a boat, there are services from Taniyama Port and Kagoshima Port in Kagoshima Prefecture to Miyanoura Port and Awa Port on Yakushima Island.

 

Conclusion! What is the best season to travel to Yakushima?

When is the best time to travel to Yakushima?

You can visit any time of the year and enjoy a variety of experiences and scenery, so it is best to focus on your objectives first.

Each season on Yakushima has its own flavor, such as the rainy season, the sea in summer, and the snowfall in winter.

During the humid rainy season, the moss in the forest is beautiful and the light coming through the trees is fantastic.

In summer, when the sun is stronger, you can become one with the clear waters and the forests nurtured by the abundant rain.

The daily changing scenery allows you to enjoy the vast scale of fresh greenery in spring, the blue ocean in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and snowy mountains and ice trees in winter to the fullest.

Wouldn't you like to visit Yakushima seasonally to find the best season for you?

 

Characteristics of Spring in Yakushima

Spring on Yakushima is the season when you can feel the most changes in the trees and creatures in the mountains.

In spring, the mountains are filled with budding new leaves of maples and evergreens, and flowers of wild species such as mountain cherry trees and cherry azaleas.

The beauty of the forest is spectacular as it blooms in the greatest number of flowers and colors during the year.

In spring, the "Mori-biraki" and "Mizu-biraki" rituals are held to pray for the safety of Yakushima, and the "Miyanoura Spring Festival" is held to pray for a good harvest.

This is also the season when green turtles return to the coast and can be seen laying eggs.

 

What is the spring weather like on Yakushima?

Spring weather in Yakushima is still cold when it rains.

Some years it even snows in the mountains at higher elevations.

There are cold and warm days, but with each heavy rainfall the weather warms up and the temperature rises.

The warm, moist air affects the weather as well, with localized outbreaks of rain and several days of rain.

 

What tours can I enjoy in spring in Yakushima?

Trekking and SUP are recommended tours that can be enjoyed in spring in Yakushima, where you can enjoy the fresh air of nature.

 

trekking tour

Trekking tours in Yakushima allow you to enjoy moss-covered forests and magnificent scenery while listening to the murmuring of streams.

Spring trekking through fresh green forests, you may hear birdsong and see yak deer, yak monkeys, and other animals.

 

SUP Tour

SUP tour is an activity in which you stand on a board floating on calm water, paddle forward, and enjoy the scenery.

The crystal clear waters of Yakushima are so clear that even the bottom of the ocean is visible, allowing visitors to take their time to observe fish, coral, and other creatures, as well as the magnificent scenery.

 

Characteristics of Summer in Yakushima

Summer on Yakushima is the busiest season of the year, when you can fully enjoy the great outdoors.

Visitors will be able to experience the various events of the "Ichiminato Beach Festival" and the "Opening of the Bathing Beach," and enjoy the sea of Yakushima to the fullest.

On the beach, you can observe the hatching of baby sea turtles that laid their eggs in the spring.

However, Yakushima is often in the path of typhoons at this time of year.

Keep in mind that when a powerful typhoon passes through, planes, boats, and transportation on the island may come to a halt.

 

What is the summer climate on Yakushima?

Summer on Yakushima is the second rainiest season of the year, with warm weather and a high percentage of sunny days during the absence of typhoons.

Summer brings longer days and higher temperatures, so be careful of heat stroke and dehydration caused by the strong tropical sun.

 

What tours can I enjoy in summer in Yakushima?

Recommended summer tours in Yakushima include snorkeling and SUP, where you can lose yourself in the beautiful marine world.

 

Snorkeling Tour

Why not join a snorkeling tour to enjoy the beautiful sea of Yakushima?

There are many kinds of fish in the sea of Yakushima where the Kuroshio Current comes in, and if you are lucky, you may be able to see sea turtles.

Snorkeling is a relatively easy activity once you get the hang of it, so first-timers can enjoy it with ease.

 

SUP Tour

Even if this is your first attempt at SUP, as you get used to it, you will be free to go in any direction you like.

As you move through the calm river and ocean waters, you can experience the sensation of becoming one with the surrounding landscape and observe the creatures swimming in the crystal clear waters up close.

SUP is an experience that will allow you to enjoy the highest level of freedom while bobbing on the surface of the water in the midst of nature.

 

Characteristics of Autumn in Yakushima

Autumn on Yakushima Island offers spectacular foliage in the mountains and mysterious rituals.

For example, the "Yakushima Forest Festival," "Dake Festival," and "Yakushima Dream Festival" each have different characteristics.

It is also fun to enjoy the fantastic candlelight, the experience of each village on Yakushima, and the 14,000 lanterns, each a different aspect of the festival.

In addition, autumn, when the mountains of Yakushima come to life, the colorful foliage reflected in the rivers and the murmuring of streams in the quiet forests provide a healing experience.

 

What is the weather like in autumn on Yakushima?

The direct sunlight eases somewhat, the weather becomes a little cooler, and the daylight hours shorten.

As in the spring, temperatures vary widely, but the autumn weather can be very pleasant.

Autumn on Yakushima Island is a season blessed with many sunny days, making it an ideal time to observe the quiet mountain and forest scenery.

 

What tours can I enjoy in autumn in Yakushima?

The tours that can be enjoyed in autumn in Yakushima include marine sports and diving to enjoy the remaining summer weather, and trekking to observe the deepening autumn.

 

Diving Tours

In Yakushima, as autumn deepens, many days when swimming in the ocean is no longer possible.

Diving tours allow you to experience the beautiful ocean and underwater world of Yakushima if you are well equipped for marine sports.

Diving in autumn is different from summer, and the marine world is unlike anything you have ever seen before.

 

trekking tour

Trekking tours in Yakushima are also highly recommended in autumn when the leaves are beautiful.

The forest's coniferous forests are beautiful with their native coniferous forests and foliage of epiphytic plants, and the abundance of moss species and tree roots are life-giving.

Time spent relaxing in the quietness of the forest is the ultimate luxury!

 

Characteristics of winter in Yakushima

In winter on Yakushima, the mountains are covered with snow, giving the island a different appearance from the warmer seasons.

Snow-covered Jomon cedars and Mt. Miyanoura are beautiful and offer a glimpse into the harshness of nature.

On New Year's Eve, the "Mashujin Taiko New Year's Eve Festival" is held in the precincts of Mashujinsha Shrine.

The traditional New Year's Eve event is also a powerful spectacle, with people beating drums and using torches to drive away evil spirits.

Other events such as "Cycling Yakushima" and "Yakushima Trail Marathon" will also be held.

 

What is the winter climate on Yakushima?

The winter climate on Yakushima is relatively mild, but differs between the northern and southern parts of the island.

The north is characterized by cool temperatures and cloudy weather due to the northwesterly winds.

On the other hand, the southern part of the island has a mild and warm climate with many sunny days because the northern winds are blocked by the mountains in the center of the island.

It is also the time of year with the least precipitation, but when cold weather arrives, the high mountains are covered with snow.

 

What tours can I enjoy in winter in Yakushima?

Eco-tours and canoeing are recommended as tours that can be enjoyed in winter on Yakushima Island, where you can learn about and feel nature deeply.

 

Eco-tour (island sightseeing)

Eco-tours (sightseeing on the island) allow visitors to feel nature while learning about Yakushima's natural environment, the ecology of plants and animals, and how they work.

You will feel the power and greatness of the earth in the untouched nature of the huge Jomon and Yakusugi cedar trees, moss and canyons.

 

Canoe Tour

Canoe tours, which allow visitors to enjoy nature in a relaxed atmosphere, allow them to feel nature with all their senses as they progress along the surface of the river.

Spending time on a canoe can be a relaxing time, with the trees and scenery reflecting off the surface of the river and ocean, the murmuring of the river, the sound of birds, and the sight of clouds flowing by.

 

summary

In this issue, we have introduced the best season for Yakushima.

Each season is so atmospheric that it may be difficult to narrow it down to just one!

Spring with its vivid fresh greenery, summer with its beautiful sea, autumn with its red and yellow colors, and winter with its white world are all natural beauties of Yakushima.

Please compare sightseeing in Yakushima by purpose and season to find your own best season!

Thank you for reading to the end.