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Vigourously ongoing

Comments: 7

Imagine a roughly circular granite island 12 kilometres in diameter which rises to a series of peaks approaching 2 kilometres above sea level, the highlands of which receive, on average, 8,000 milimetres of rain a year (yes, that’s 8 metres of rain annually). You’d expect the water and the rock to come to some pretty interesting arrangements over the millennia. On Yakushima they most certainly have, and negotiations are vigourously ongoing.

The photo above, a two-shot composite, shows Ohko-no-taki by the light of the August 9th full moon. The waterfall is 88 metres in length (of which perhaps 50 metres can be seen here). We returned the next day and swam at its base (I could only get to within a couple of metres; the wind and spray makes it uncomfortable above the water and a strong wash keeps you away below).

The topography also turns roads into the driving equivalent of mountain streams. The photo below shows a stretch of road that positively meanders compared to some we drove but will serve to give an indication of the motoring pleasures to be had:

The view to the left just beyond the guardrail was spectacular. The 6-shot panorama below doesn’t begin to do it justice (click for a larger view):

We returned from Yakushima yesterday and all I really have to say about it today is that if you are in the vicinity of Japan, it is not to be missed. More photos soon (but none of which, I warn you now, will begin to capture the beauty of the place).

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Posted to The Good • 2006.08.13 (Sun) • 10:26

Comments

Posted by dávid 2006.08.13, 12:56

hi! so you really recommend this site? i’m just preparing a trip to japan and thought yakushima whould be a bit too stressy to reach (by train), compared to — the site itself. or do you know any other secret/good places to visit?

thanks a lot,

dávid

Posted by curson 2006.08.13, 18:30

Wow… the waterfall is impressingly beautiful.
Now I officially envy your holiday trip :)

Posted by Marg & Trev 2006.08.17, 19:42

Guess who?

Thanks for the newsy info on Yashushima, this is somewhere we will probably never visit so to see these photos gave us an insight.

Love to all

Thanks Marg & Trev

Posted by riccard0 2006.08.30, 21:23