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Going to Kyushu, Japan? Why Visiting Yakushima is Worth it

Going to Kyushu, Japan? Why Visiting Yakushima is Worth it

When I told my Japanese friend Tohko that we were going to be in Japan, she said she would meet us in Kyushu on one condition:

We go to Yakushima.

Yakushima?  Where and what is it?

It’s the greenest and wettest place in the country, receiving more rainfall than any other location in Japan.  On top of that, the island has a strong reputation for being a spiritual and mystical retreat, and rightly so; it did, after all, serve as the inspiration for the animated film Princess Mononoke.

I always told myself that, someday, I just had to go to Yakushima (similar to my desire to go to Kumano Kodo).  Not only is Princess Mononoke my favorite Studio Ghibli movie, but when I googled Yakushima and looked at the images, the greenery blew me away. read more