How Do You Get Around Yakushima, and What Are the Park Rules?
This guide is for visitors who have reached Yakushima and need to move around the island, and who want to know the rules for wildlife, the west coast road and sea turtles. It covers buses, rental cars, taxis, the pace of the island and the manners the national park asks of visitors.
We used the Yakushima Tourism Association's pages on transport and on frequently asked questions, plus the Ministry of the Environment's rules page for Yakushima National Park. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. We name no rental firms, inns or restaurants, and we left out phone numbers.
The shape of the island
The association says the island is about 130 km around and that driving the coastal prefectural road takes roughly 3 hours. It has three gateways: the airport, Miyanoura Port and Anbo Port. Buses are infrequent, some roads are narrow and there are few street lights, so it advises leaving plenty of time. It also warns of sudden rain and of wild animals jumping onto the road.
Route buses
The association says two bus companies run route buses from the airport and ports to places such as the Yakusugi Museum and Shiratani Unsuikyo. Neither runs on the west forest road between Kurio and Nagata. In its FAQ, one company accepts cash, the Iwasaki IC card and Rapica, and the other takes cash only. Suica, PASMO and similar cards cannot be used.
The association also describes a pass called the Yakushima Yuttari Mankitsu ticket, which gives unlimited rides on one company's route buses. It cannot be bought on the bus, so buy it at an office first. It does not cover the Arakawa mountain bus, the sightseeing bus or the other company's buses.
A notice dated 30 September 2026 says one company changed its timetable from 1 October. The 15:20 departure from Miyanoura now ends at Kurio Bridge instead of Okawa Falls, which is the usual winter timetable. The 14:10 departure to Kurio Bridge now leaves at 14:20. English timetables are on the association's site.
Rental cars, taxis and tours
The association lists several rental car offices near the airport and in Miyanoura and Anbo, and says some offer pick-up and one-way return. There are also rental bikes and bicycles. Taxis come from three companies and wait at ports and the airport. There are no taxis cruising for passengers, so you must call, and the association advises booking early because early-morning and late-night calls are hard to connect. Two of the three taxi companies do not take credit cards.
Sightseeing buses and chartered buses need a reservation. The association lists a Yuran bus, a round-the-island sightseeing bus and charter services.
Driving the west forest road
The Ministry of the Environment calls the west forest road a narrow single-lane road through the World Heritage area. Many visitors go there to meet wild monkeys and deer, and accidents happen between cars and with animals.
- Switch on your headlights even by day, because visibility is poor.
- If monkeys or deer block the road, do not stop. Keep moving at about walking speed, because stopping makes them settle. Horns have little effect.
- Mobile phones lose signal on long stretches, so you may not be able to call in an emergency.
Wildlife rules
Feeding wild animals is banned under the Natural Parks Act and a town ordinance, and there are penalties. The Ministry asks visitors to keep a distance of about two car lengths, and never to approach a mother monkey or deer with young. Animals that learn to take food can attack people and damage crops.
Sea turtles
The Ministry says turtles are very sensitive to light and sound and may return to the sea without laying eggs. Do not use torches or phone lights on the beach, and keep car headlights off the sand. Walking around packs the sand down, which can trap hatchlings. The association's FAQ says laying runs from May to July at night and hatching in August, and that snorkelling is best from May to November. Young loggerhead turtles live along the coast all year.
Practical points
- The association says the island has no 24-hour convenience stores, and that lockers are at the airport terminal, the ports and the tourism centre in Miyanoura, with set hours.
- The Ministry asks visitors to check clothes, shoes and luggage for plant seeds or small animals when arriving, to stop alien species spreading.
- It recommends choosing an officially certified Yakushima guide for nature activities in the mountains, rivers and sea.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- Bus fares, which the association shows only in tables and PDFs.
- Rental car prices and availability.
- Whether the west forest road is open on the day you travel.
Related guides
- How to get to Yakushima by plane, high-speed ferry and ferry
- What to know before hiking to Jomon Sugi on Yakushima
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- Getting around the island (Yakushima Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (buses, taxis, rentals)
- Timetable revision from 1 October (Yakushima Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (bus changes)
- Frequently asked questions (Yakushima Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (IC cards, turtles, lockers)
- Rules and manners in Yakushima National Park (Yakushima World Heritage Conservation Centre, Ministry of the Environment, in Japanese) — (wildlife, west forest road, turtles)