Day 2: Journey Through the Enchanted Forest - The Trek to Jomon Sugi

We woke up at 4:00 am to ensure everything was ready on time. Aperuy kindly arranged a breakfast box and a lunch box for us to eat on the way.

The guide arrived, and we stepped outside to a sky full of stars. It was stunning, a beauty the camera couldn't capture as well as our eyes could see.

After picking up one more person on the way, we headed to the trailhead. This is a two-day course, with an overnight stay at the peak of Yakushima Island's highest mountain, Mount Miyanoura.

Before starting the trek, we needed to feed ourselves. We opened the breakfast box in the dark, and our guide, Tadashi-san, prepared miso soup for us. It was a lovely treat in the cold and darkness.

Around 6:00 am, we began our trail.

We entered from Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine, famous for its primeval forest. It is one of Japan's leading moss spots, designated as "Japan's Precious Moss Forest" by the Society of Natural Bryology. Everything, from stones to trees, is covered in green moss, creating a fantastic and mysterious world.

Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is also the inspiration for the forest scenes in "Mononoke Hime" (Princess Mononoke), a globally renowned film among fans of Studio Ghibli and Japanese animation. The atmosphere was so beautiful and mysterious that it felt as though we had stepped into the world of Mononoke Hime.

Unfortunately, the rented hiking shoes did not fit well, causing pain throughout the trek. My husband had to massage my feet at every stop we could make.

Still few more steps to go...

Finally, around 5:00 pm, we arrived at the Jomon Sugi, the ancient Japanese cedar tree.

It was a very long walk of over 11 kilometers, lasting about 10 hours.

We were all literally exhausted but happy to have finally arrived.