Overnight, the Resolution sailed out of the inland sea and south along Japan’s east coast. We spent the morning at sea, leaving Japan’s mainland behind as we headed for Yakushima Island. A small, round island, it is very tall – with 45 peaks over 1000m, made of granite – formerly, a lava plug inside a much taller volcano. It is one of the world’s wettest locations; the “annual precipitation in Yakushima is one of the world’s highest at 4,000 to 10,000 mm (160 to 390 in)” [Wikipedia], and its highest reaches are now a UNESCO world heritage site because it is covered in virgin forest. Read on, to learn more about our hike on this greenest of green islands.
Continue reading “Japan, Day 6 (September 8): Yakushima Island”
David Kotz 