Off The Beaten Path - Japanese National Park

Beach life is great, but sometimes that sun gets too hot and the waves just die down, and you think to yourself what else can I do. Adventure abounds when you explore in the outdoors and national parks are just the place. The first national parks in Japan were established in 1931 to designate and preserve places of scenic natural beauty for people to enjoy. Today, there are 31 national parks scattered across the country from the northern tip of Hokaiddo to the southernmost islands of Okinawa.

From volcanoes to forests, marshes, beaches, coastlines and even underwater marine habitats, Japan's national parks cover a wide range of environments. Visitors to these parks can choose from a variety of outdoor activities. Go hiking, boating, fishing, snorkeling, diving or you can visit some hot springs. Some parks have also established eco tourism activities such as whale and dolphin watching and guided nature hikes. 

If you have ever wanted to explore an ancient forest Yakushima is the place to go.
Yakushima is a subtropical island off the southern coast of Kyushi. As a subtropical island with high mountains, Yakushima attracts a lot of rainfall around the year, there is some rain almost on a daily basis, especially in the mountainous interior. In higher elevations the precipitation falls as snow during the winter months. 

It is covered by an extensive cedar forest that contains some of Japan's oldest living trees. Trees more than 1,000 years old are affectionately called yakusugi, the most ancient of which, known as Jomonsugi, may be over 7,000 years old. The island's cedar forests were logged extensively in the past for the production of cedar shingles. Today the forests have well recovered from past logging and is a national park. Most tourists come to the island to hike through the forests and see the ancient cedar trees.

Jomonsugi
The Jomonsugi, the main attraction of Yakushima, is a giant cedar tree which scientists estimate to be 2,000 to 7,200 years old. Said to be the oldest tree in Japan, it dates to the Jomon period (14,000 - 300 BC). It is not very tall, standing around 82 feet high, yet it has a massive trunk about 16 feet in diameter.

Yakushima Wildlife
For such a small island the wildlife of Yakushima is surprisingly rich. There are 16 species of mammal,  around 150 bird species, 15 species of reptile including the loggerhead turtle and the green turtle, as well as 8 kinds of amphibian and an incredible 1900 species of insects.

Hiking through the forests, you may well not be aware of the abundance of wildlife around you. The tree cover is so dense that birds are difficult to spot, but if you are an avid bird watcher, the majority of Yakushima birds are found around the lowland and coastal region.  Yakushima is a migratory destination for some birds and so species differ according to the season.  Small lizards and frogs are numerous, but hibernate in the winter.  From  spring to late autumn spiders, butterflies and a plethora of other insects are everywhere.  The Sea Turtles arrive in the late spring and the largest animals are the deer and the monkeys which can be seen all year round particularly on the hiking courses and the western forest road. 

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you get there and if you want to stay in comfort rather than camping out we can help. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com

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