Museums 博物館

Located near Miyanoura Port, this center exhibits displays along an upward-sloping route that represents the transition from the subtropical coast to the cooler mountains. The displays are divided into sections on water, ocean, villages, forests, and mountain faith. A large wide-screen theater brings to life the island’s natural environment in dynamic fashion. The featured film, Yakushima, Symphony of Forest and Water, is shown in Japanese multiple times a day. Simple English signage and an English-language guide (walkie-talkie pen) are available. A tourist counter is located inside. The center is generally open from Tuesday to Sunday year-round, excluding the New Year holidays. Entry to the theater and the exhibit hall is \530 for adults.

Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Learning Center

This learning center for adults and children near Anbo Port hosts seminars, meetings, and other events related to Yakushima’s natural environment, industries, and daily life. Accommodations are also available on the premises. The facility is located near the Yakushima World Heritage Conservation Center and the Yakusugi Museum. Visitor information is available in the entrance hall lounge.

Yakushima World Heritage Conservation Center

This center in Anbo opened in 1996 as a Ministry of the Environment facility staffed by ministry personnel, following Yakushima’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. It offers displays on the World Heritage site as well as Yakushima National Park, the island’s natural environment, and environmental conservation activities. There are information panels in English. Mountain climbing information is also provided. The center is open most days and entry is free.

Yakushima Town History and Folk Museum

This museum in Miyanoura displays objects used in the daily lives of Yakushima islanders from the Jomon period (10,000–300 BCE) to the present, including wooden tools, handicrafts, masks, and pottery. Also exhibited are items from traditional performances and festivals, such as the flying fish summoning dance and the tug-of-war festival. Outside the museum is a replica of a traditional house where yakusugi roof shingles were made. The shingles were an important aspect of life on Yakushima during the Edo period (1603–1867) because they were used to pay the annual tribute tax and exchanged for rice, wheat, barley, and other necessities. The displays are in Japanese only, but an English-language laminated guide sheet is provided upon request. The museum is open every day except Mondays, Saturday afternoons, and during the New Year holidays. Entry is \100 for adults and \50 for school students.

Yakusugi Museum

This museum in Anbo tells all about the yakusugi—Japanese cedars on the island over 1,000 years old. Cross-sections of stumps with closely spaced growth rings illustrate the slow growth of yakusugi. Also on display are logging equipment ranging from old hand tools to the modern chainsaw, a replica of yakusugi roof shingles, computer-graphic images of Wilson’s Stump, and an actual branch (length 5 meters, weight 1.2 tons) of the famous Jomon Sugi which broke off in 2005. A diesel locomotive used to transport yakusugi logs from mountain to village is exhibited outside. Hands-on exhibits are provided for children. An English-language guide (walkie-talkie pen) and headphones with audio descriptions in English are available.