Yakushima - Japan 2010

The morning after arriving, just before dawn, we collected our bentou, made by the hotel staff and ready at 4AM (saabisu!), and took our scooters into the mountains to Shiratani Unsuikyo. Some cedars here are very old. We didn't see the oldest, about 3000 years old, near the center of the island. We hiked through Mononoke no Mori, the setting of Princess Mononoke, one of Miyazaki Hayao's excellent films. Several of the signs in the area have kodama on them, as drawn in the film.

In the middle of the video, we come to a cottage with water being piped into a bucket in the back. I didn't understand the kanji on the sign, but I thought the intent was clear. Playing back the video, I hear something about "...kaku nomen-da" which I would translate as "...writing says don't drink." Well, I didn't get sick, and it tasted great. Feel free to tell me what the sign really said, though.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Yakushima
• Japan
• cedar
• sugi
• 焼く島
• 杉
• もののけの森