[2025 Yakushima Attraction] Travel Guide for Shiratani Unsui Gorge (Updated Mar)

The Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine in Yakushima is the setting for a famous Studio Ghibli animated film✨ I started my hike before dawn and waited for the sunrise in Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine! The forest gradually regained its brightness, creating a truly magical atmosphere. I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that such a world exists in Japan🥹 By the way, it takes 90 minutes to reach the Mossy Forest from the trailhead and 2 hours to reach Taiko Rock🥾 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name: Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine Address: Miyanoura, Yakushima Town, Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture Access: About 30 minutes by bus from Miyanoura Port to the Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine trailhead Closed: Open year-round - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This time we will introduce Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge in Yakushima. 🌿 The beautiful mossy forest of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a must-see for moss lovers. 🍃 This place was the model for the Studio Ghibli film "Princess Mononoke," directed by Hayao Miyazaki and released in 1997. It is said that Hayao Miyazaki visited this place many times and expanded his imagination when creating the film. All the plants and rocks are covered in moss, and the fantastical green world attracts many people 🥹 It's a wonderful forest that you should visit at least once 🌳 📍 Miyanoura, Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture, Miyanoura-dake National Forest 🚗 About 25 minutes from Miyanoura Port, about 50 minutes from Awa Port ⏰ All year round (Management building 8:30-16:30) *Course restrictions apply during high water 💰 Forest environment improvement promotion contribution: 500 yen for high school students and above #Domestic trip #Shiratani Unsuikyo #Yakushima

I climbed Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge with a guide and photographer. The highlights are "Mononoke Forest" and "Taiko Rock". The miraculous humidity and rain allowed us to enjoy the wonderful cedars, moss, and plants. I hope you enjoy the spectacular view from the monolith known as Taiko Rock. 📍891-4200 Miyanoura, Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture 💰Entrance fee: 500 yen (cash) ⛰️Climbing time: about 4 hours one way There are also courses that can be completed in about 1 hour one way ❤️Recommendations & Information ・Beginners should especially take a guide. It is necessary to climb in dangerous places and to have the right knowledge. You can learn various knowledge about plants and animals and enjoy climbing. ・There are places to rent climbing equipment in Yakushima Town. #Yakushima @#Japan

#summerdream Shiratani Unsuikyo is a valley on Yakushima Island that was registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1993. The valley is known for its ancient pine forests, waterfalls, and clear streams. There are also many hiking trails here, making Shiratani Unsuikyo a popular place for hiking, camping, and fishing. The valley is also home to many wild animals, including deer, wild boars, and monkeys. If you love nature, don't miss this place! This is a must-visit place in Japan.

A very primitive place, the only drawback is inconvenient transportation. It's impossible to visit all the attractions on the island in one day. There are just too many sights on this small island. The most famous are several hiking trails. I took the Jomon Sugi and Shiratani Unsuikyo trails. The moss forest in Shiratani Unsuikyo is the location for the film Princess Mononoke. The experience is ordinary when you are there. If you go further into the forest to Taiko-iwa Rock, the view is better. The Jomon Sugi trail is 22km round trip, suitable for those who are very confident in their physical strength. Because the bus ends early, but hiking takes at least 10 hours, so I hired a guide at the time. But actually, there are paths in the forest, so you don't have to worry about getting lost in it. So people who walk fast can save the cost of hiring a guide.

The prototype of "Princess Mononoke": Yakushima White Valley Yunshui Gorge About Baigu Yunshui Gorge: It is a valley flowing through the Baigu River, a tributary of the Puji River in the northern part of Yakushima. Due to the abundant rainfall, the huge rock such as Taiguyan formed by the erosion of granite is covered with dense native forest. The valley is covered with moss, flowing water, and there are often wild deer and wild monkeys. Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke" was inspired by the mossy forest in the Baishui Yunshui Gorge. There are three routes to choose from in the Baigu Yunshuixia Scenic Area, one hour to watch the 3,000-year-old Yayoi, three hours to the White Valley Lodge and the Princess of the Monsters, and five hours to the Taikoyan route. is located in the northern part of Yakushima and is a 424-hectare natural recreation forest. Here, the stream rushes down, and the evergreen broad-leaved trees and the ancient house long-sleeved shirts are row upon row. There is also a virgin forest of moss and ferns that is the source of inspiration for Miyazaki's animated film Princess Mononoke. belongs to the primary-intermediate line, and most people can walk down. Yakushima, regardless of the hiking route, is marked with a pink tape, usually tied to a branch, sometimes on the ground, the Baigu Yunshuixia line is clearly marked, and there is no guide and it is completely ok. Be careful, don't slip. About transportation: Gongzhipu Port-- Baigu Yunshui Gorge has a bus to and from the city, four shifts a day. You can also go to Miyakoura Port or Yakushima Airport. Of course, you can also complete a group tour of Yakushima in Kagoshima. In Yakushima, except for self-driving, it is basically a group tour~ Its really not much like I have to walk freely... English is almost impossible in this place. Friendly Tips: 1. Don't be smug, be sure to wear hiking gear to go hiking!! personally feel that the Shanshou Trail is much better than the Yasugi Trail. After all, it is a mountain road. The scenery is completely different. Because it is a bus trip in Yakushima, it is regrettable to give up the Taiguyan Trail in order to catch up with the last bus.