Jomon Sugi
縄文杉30°22′ N 130°32′ ETree¥3,000, about CAD 27 or USD 19 (October 2026 rates)
Jomon Sugi suits fit hikers who want to stand before Yakushima's largest cedar, and the round trip is a full day on foot that starts on a pre-dawn bus.
Road closure
A landslide keeps the road to Shiratani Unsuikyo on Yakushima closed
The prefectural road to Shiratani Unsuikyo has been shut by a landslide since 4 September 2026, and the ravine is closed until the road reopens. From 1 March to 30 November bicycles are also barred from the road to the Arakawa trailhead for Jomon Sugi, where a shuttle bus runs.
Checked 2026-10-11 · town.yakushima.kagoshima.jp
Photo Σ64 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Access
The walk is about 11 km each way from the Arakawa trailhead with about 700 metres of climbing, and takes eight to ten hours there and back.
Jomon Sugi is the largest yakusugi, the island's ancient cedars, at 22.2 metres tall and 16.1 metres round at chest height. Yakushima Town gives its age as somewhere between 2,170 and 7,200 years. It became known in 1966, and visitors came in numbers after Yakushima joined the World Natural Heritage list in 1993.
From the Arakawa trailhead the path runs about 11 km each way and climbs about 700 metres to the tree at 1,328 metres. You see the cedar from a viewing deck built to protect it.
Typhoon No. 24 closed the island's mountain roads and trails in early September 2026. The Arakawa trail bus and the route to Jomon Sugi reopened on 17 September. The bio-toilet at Kosugidani remains out of use, so carry a portable toilet, and the council recommends going with a mountain guide while the ground stays unstable after the rain.
Worth knowing
- Visitors who are not hiking can still pay the conservation contribution at tourist association counters.
- Book a guide through the Yakushima Tourism Association or the island's guide directory, as the council recommends after the 2026 typhoon.
Quick answers about Jomon Sugiよくある質問
Can you drive or cycle to the Jomon Sugi trailhead?
Not from 1 March to 30 November. The town road to the Arakawa trailhead is closed to all private vehicles and bicycles in that period, so you change to the Arakawa trail bus at the Yakusugi Museum stop. The bus takes about 40 minutes.
How long is the hike to Jomon Sugi?
About 11 km each way from the Arakawa trailhead with about 700 metres of climbing, which Yakushima Town puts at eight to ten hours for the round trip.
How much does Jomon Sugi cost?
Prices at Jomon Sugi start at ¥3,000 per adult (2026), about CAD 27 or USD 19 (October 2026 rates).
What are the opening hours of Jomon Sugi?
Jomon Sugi is open the Arakawa trail bus leaves from the Yakusugi Museum stop before dawn. The ticket counter at the stop opens from 4:30 to 5:40, and the bus takes about 40 minutes to the Arakawa trailhead.
When is the best time to visit Jomon Sugi?
Jomon Sugi: Go between March and November with a guide, and check the mountain conservation council's trail page and the trail bus account the evening before.
Within 12 km
