Yakushima: Ancient Cedars, Storm Damage and the Forest Behind Princess Mononoke

A Forest That Became Part of Cinema

On Yakushima, about 60 kilometers south of Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, ancient cedar trees stand among mossy stones and tangled roots. Some are estimated to be between 1,000 and 7,200 years old. This island in the East China Sea helped inspire the forest in Studio Ghibli's 1997 animated film Princess Mononoke, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is central to that connection. Its dense woodland, streams and green carpets of moss supplied a real landscape for a film in which the forest is alive with animal gods and mysterious spirits. Miyazaki and his team visited Yakushima in the 1990s to study the woods, while lead artist Kazuo Oga worked to capture their roots, stones and shifting light.

Yakushima's appeal reaches beyond its place in cinema. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1993, the island supports more than 1,900 plant species, 16 species of mammals and 150 species of birds. Its mountainous interior holds ancient trees that survived centuries of storms and logging.

Those trees remain vulnerable. Yayoi Sugi, a cedar estimated to be 3,000 years old and among the island's most accessible famous trees, was recently snapped in two by Typhoon Shanshan. Local forestry authorities are assessing the damage and considering how to preserve what remains.

For visitors, Yakushima brings together the landscapes that shaped a celebrated film and the practical demands of protecting a living forest. Rain, difficult terrain and fragile habitats are part of the same place that draws film fans, hikers and people seeking time in nature.

Mountains, Rain and an Unusually Rich Ecosystem

Yakushima is roughly circular and covers about 500 square kilometers. More than 75% of the island is mountainous, and much of it is covered in dense, ancient forest. Its highest peak, Mount Miyanoura-dake, reaches 1,936 meters.

The island's range of plant and animal life makes it a biodiversity hotspot, a place with an unusually rich concentration of living species. Forests, mountain slopes and the surrounding coastal environment give visitors several different settings to explore within a relatively small island.

Rain is one of Yakushima's defining features. Locals joke that it rains "35 days a month," an expression that captures how persistent the wet weather can feel. Abundant rainfall, combined with the island's volcanic terrain, has created conditions where its ancient Japanese cedars thrive.

These old cedars are known as yakusugi. Their gnarled trunks and roots covered in moss record the long history of the forest in a form visitors can see. Estimates for some trees range from 1,000 to 7,200 years, making the woodland home to some of the world's oldest living trees.

Water also shapes the experience of walking here. Moisture hangs in the air, streams run through the woods, and sunlight filtering through the canopy casts a green glow over stones and roots. The same rain that sustains this landscape can make travel through it difficult when rivers rise or trails become slippery.

Shiratani Unsuikyo and the Moss Covered Forest

Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine covers about 1,000 acres of woodland on an 800-meter mountain. Accessible from the port of Miyanoura, it has routes ranging from gentle walks to more demanding treks, making it a major destination for visitors drawn by Princess Mononoke.

Japanese cedar, known scientifically as Cryptomeria japonica, grows densely in the ravine. The forest includes revered yakusugi, while the still older Jomon Sugi is among the island's best known ancient cedars. Across the woodland, roots and stones form a complicated forest floor beneath a thick covering of moss.

The Moss Covered Forest, or kokemusi-mori, is one of the places most closely associated with the film. It directly inspired the appearance and atmosphere of the Mononoke Forest. Oga reportedly spent hours sketching there, studying how to reproduce a landscape that could feel both beautiful and unsettling.

Running water and the occasional call of a deer or monkey are part of the ravine's soundscape. Dense foliage, moisture and filtered sunlight help explain why this location became such a strong reference for the filmmakers. Animators used more than 200 shades of green to bring the forest to life on screen.

Three Routes Through the Ravine

Shiratani Unsuikyo's main routes offer different levels of effort. A visitor choosing a short walk to a famous cedar faces a different outing from someone continuing to a rock viewpoint above the forest.

• Yayoisugi Cedar Course: About 2 kilometers and one hour, this easy route is suitable for beginners and leads to the ancient Yayoi Cedar.
• Bugyosugi Cedar Course: About 3 to 4 kilometers and three hours, this moderate hike passes several notable trees and scenic places.
• Taikoiwa Rock Round Trip Course: About 5.6 kilometers and four hours, this more challenging trek ends at Taikoiwa Rock, with panoramic views of the island.

Yakushima deer, Japanese macaques and rare plants may be encountered along these trails. The routes are well marked, but weather can change rapidly. River crossings may become hazardous after heavy rain, so proper hiking shoes and preparation are essential even when a route appears manageable on paper.

Yayoi Sugi's storm damage also changes the context of the shortest course. The tree's accessibility helped make it a favorite among visitors, and its destruction is a loss for both the community and people who came to see an ancient cedar without undertaking a longer expedition.

A Film About Survival on Both Sides

Princess Mononoke, released in 1997, takes place during Japan's late Muromachi period, within the era spanning 1336 to 1573. Its setting is a time of social upheaval and environmental change, when demands for resources bring people into conflict with the forest.

Ashitaka, a young prince cursed by a demon, travels west to seek a cure. He becomes caught between the gods of the forest and the people of Irontown, who exploit the land for resources. The struggle gives the film its themes of environmentalism, industrial progress and the complicated morality of its characters.

The humans seek survival and progress, while nature fights for preservation. Miyazaki gives weight to both sides, making the conflict more complicated than a simple division between good and evil. That tension reflects the pressures that have also shaped Yakushima, where forests once supplied timber and now draw visitors seeking an ancient landscape.

Miyazaki, the film's director, explained his vision as a relationship in which people and nature belong to the same world.

In my films, I want to show that the world is not just black and white. Nature and humans are not enemies, but part of the same whole.

The film's forest is more than scenery. Animal gods, spirits and the enigmatic Forest Spirit make it a living presence within the story. Its beauty and danger are both essential to the world Ashitaka enters.

Tree Spirits and a Sacred Landscape

The kodama, or tree spirits, are among Princess Mononoke's most memorable figures. Their clicking heads and glowing eyes symbolize the health of the forest. They come from Japanese folklore, in which spirits inhabit ancient trees and act as guardians of the woods.

Miyazaki's treatment of the forest also draws on Shinto beliefs. In that tradition, natural objects such as trees, stones and rivers possess kami, or divine essence. This gives the landscape a spiritual presence as well as a physical one.

Princess Mononoke presents the forest as sacred ground threatened by human encroachment. Its spirits express an idea that also runs through the account of Yakushima's ancient trees: a forest holds meaning beyond the resources that people can take from it.

The island's combination of old cedars, mossy stones and spiritual folklore helps explain its appeal to film fans. The connection is visual, but it also rests on the relationship between people and nature that lies at the center of the film.

How the Filmmakers Studied Yakushima

Miyazaki and his team traveled to Yakushima in the 1990s and based themselves in a simple house beside the Anbo River. They sketched the forests and absorbed the island's atmosphere as they developed the film's setting.

Oga's work focused on the details that make a woodland feel like a real place. Mossy stones, twisted roots and filtered light all became part of his effort to recreate Shiratani Unsuikyo on screen. His attention to those features helped give the animated forest both an inviting beauty and a sense of danger.

The use of more than 200 shades of green reflects the difficulty of representing a place where leaves, moss, moisture and light continually change what the eye sees. The filmmakers' study of Yakushima helped make the forest feel immersive rather than merely decorative.

Nearly three decades after the film's release, that connection continues to draw fans to the island. Visitors arrive hoping to experience the woods that captivated Miyazaki and his team, joining the hikers and nature lovers already attracted by Yakushima's trees and wildlife.

Jomon Sugi, Logging and Protection

Jomon Sugi is Yakushima's most famous ancient cedar. Estimates place its age between 2,170 and 7,200 years. Its massive trunk and weathered branches have survived storms, earthquakes and human threats over a period measured in millennia.

The tree's discovery in 1968 helped spark a movement to protect Yakushima's forests from logging. That movement led to recognition as a World Heritage site and designation as a national park, placing conservation at the center of the island's identity.

Logging had threatened the forests during the Edo period and again after World War II. Many ancient trees were cut for building materials. Some of the less desirable, gnarled cedars were left standing, and those survivors now form a central part of the protected forests that attract visitors from around the world.

The main dates connecting the tree, forest protection and film are:

• 1968: Jomon Sugi's discovery helped encourage a movement to protect the forests from logging.
• The 1990s: Miyazaki and his team visited Yakushima to study its woodland.
• 1993: UNESCO recognized Yakushima as a World Heritage site.
• 1997: Studio Ghibli released Princess Mononoke.

Jomon Sugi and other ancient cedars are living records of the island's history. Their survival gives visitors a visible connection to the long periods covered by the age estimates, while the history of logging explains why the remaining trees carry such importance.

Yayoi Sugi's Loss and the Work of Conservation

Yayoi Sugi's destruction by Typhoon Shanshan shows the force that natural events can bring to an ancient forest. The cedar, estimated to be 3,000 years old, was snapped in two. Forestry authorities are assessing its condition and considering how best to preserve the remains; no decision or timetable is given.

Taro Watanabe, a tour guide, described why the loss matters locally and to visitors who knew the tree.

Yayoi sugi is one of the most famous among the huge trees on the island. Its accessibility made it a favorite for visitors, and its destruction is a great sadness for the community.

Yakushima's protected status has helped conserve its forests, but typhoons, landslides and tourism continue to place pressure on the ecosystem. Conservation work includes maintaining trails, educating visitors and monitoring the health of ancient trees.

The storm damage brings a concrete change to a familiar destination. A tree that offered an accessible encounter with thousands of years of forest history is now the subject of preservation decisions. Protecting what remains sits alongside the continuing work of caring for the surrounding woodland.

Reaching the Island and Exploring Beyond the Cedars

Most travelers reach Yakushima by ferry from Kagoshima or by plane from Osaka, Fukuoka or Kagoshima. Public transport on the island is limited, particularly for journeys into the interior, so renting a car is recommended for visitors who want to explore those areas.

Hiking is a major attraction, from Shiratani Unsuikyo's shorter routes to the challenging trek to Jomon Sugi. The island also offers forest bathing, known as shinrin-yoku, a Japanese practice of spending time with the sights, sounds and scents of the forest for relaxation and mental well-being.

Wildlife watching provides opportunities to see Yakushima deer, macaques and rare birds. Hot springs, or onsen, are scattered around the island and offer places to soothe tired muscles after a hike. Beaches and marine life add another side to a visit, including nesting loggerhead turtles and vibrant coral reefs.

Preparation remains essential. Waterproof clothing is useful in the persistent rain, while proper hiking shoes and supplies matter on remote routes with limited facilities. Staying on marked trails and carrying out all trash help protect the places visitors have come to see.

A local guide can help with longer hikes and explain the island's history and ecology. Choosing a route that matches a visitor's abilities, allowing for changing weather and respecting the forest are practical parts of experiencing Yakushima.

The Island's Lasting Connection to Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke continues to attract audiences with its visuals and its treatment of the relationship between humans and nature. On Yakushima, the landscape behind those images remains a living environment shaped by rain, wildlife, tourism and conservation.

Steve Atkins, a filmmaker who described his pilgrimage to Yakushima, expressed how closely the island's individual features seemed connected.

Each character, each tree, each stone felt like a breathing part of a vibrant tapestry weaving a living story of an ancient place.

The film's legacy and the island's forests continue to inspire artists, environmentalists and travelers. Their shared story centers on a fragile relationship: people seek beauty, resources and meaning in the natural world, while ancient forests require protection if future generations are to experience them.

Yakushima makes that relationship tangible. Shiratani Unsuikyo holds the moss and roots that helped shape a fictional forest. Jomon Sugi connects the island to thousands of years of tree growth. Yayoi Sugi's storm damage shows how quickly a familiar landmark can change. Together, they give visitors reasons to approach the island with both curiosity and care.

Key Points

• Yakushima lies about 60 kilometers south of Kyushu and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.
• The island covers about 500 square kilometers and supports more than 1,900 plant species, 16 mammal species and 150 bird species.
• Shiratani Unsuikyo helped inspire the forest in Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke, released in 1997.
• Miyazaki and his team visited in the 1990s, and animators used more than 200 shades of green for the film's forest.
• Jomon Sugi is estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years old; its discovery in 1968 helped encourage forest protection.
• Typhoon Shanshan snapped the roughly 3,000-year-old Yayoi Sugi in two, and forestry authorities are assessing its remains.
• Visitors can hike, watch wildlife, enjoy hot springs and explore beaches, while preparing for rain and difficult terrain.
• Conservation work addresses trail care, visitor education and tree health amid pressures from storms, landslides and tourism.