Enjoy Yakushima's nature to the fullest! 7 hotels and ryokan recommended for families

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Yakushima is an isolated island located about 60km south-southwest of Cape Sata in Kagoshima, the southernmost point of the mainland. It is registered as a World Heritage Site, and is a place where untouched nature remains and where you can experience various things that you can't in the city. Yakushima is famous for the Jomon Cedars, but it can be a bit hard with children. However, there is also Yakusugi Land, where you can choose a hiking trail based on your interests and physical strength, Shitoko Gajumaru Park, where even small children can easily experience the jungle atmosphere, and the pleasure boat Manbou, so the whole family can enjoy both the mountains and the sea.

There are many activities to enjoy the great outdoors of Yakushima, including trekking, snorkeling, sea kayaking, and river kayaking. If you have small children, you can join a day trip bus tour, or you can experience nature just by taking a walk around the hotel. Here, we introduce hotels and ryokan that are perfect as a base for getting familiar with the nature of Yakushima with your children. We have a variety of accommodation styles, including Japanese-style rooms, cottages, and yurts.

Tashiro Annex is located along the upper reaches of the Miyanoura River, the gateway to Yakushima. There is a convenient shuttle bus from Yakushima Airport (reservations required by the day before). It is located in a scenic location surrounded by mountains on three sides, and is close to Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge, where you can find the "Mononoke Forest," making it the perfect base for sightseeing. All rooms are Japanese-style, but the most popular room for families with children is this spacious 10-tatami Japanese-style room. You can relax with your family while looking out at the mountains of Yakushima.

Relax in the bath overlooking the Miyanoura River and the mountains, and soothe the fatigue of your travels and busy days. The spacious bath is also equipped with a sauna, so why not wash away the sweat and feel refreshed? There are also plenty of washing areas, which is a great point for families with children.

For dinner, enjoy a kaiseki meal centered around local cuisine. In addition to the "Standard Kaiseki" shown in the photo, there are a variety of kaiseki courses available, such as a kaiseki where you can choose your main dish combination, or the "Yakushima Kaiseki," so why not choose the one you like? You'll encounter flavors that can only be found here, such as venison, flying fish sashimi, and horse mackerel crab. Mom and Dad should enjoy their meal with a soft shochu made from extra-soft water. Enjoy a night on Yakushima with the whole family♪

THE HOTEL YAKUSHIMA OCEAN & FOREST is located on a small hill a short walk from Miyanoura Port, the gateway to Yakushima. The hotel is located in a 360-degree view of the vast nature of Yakushima, so you can feel nature even just by taking a walk around the hotel with your children.

We recommend the ocean view Japanese-Western room, which combines an 8-tatami Japanese-style room with a Western-style twin room. There is a spacious public bath in the building, but the rooms also have baths. It's spacious, so even crawling babies and playful kids will be satisfied!

Using fresh ingredients, including seafood from Yakushima, our experienced chefs prepare delicious dishes. Dinner is a multi-course meal with a rich variety of seasonal flavors. Breakfast is a buffet with over 30 different Japanese and Western dishes (depending on the number of guests, it may be a Japanese set meal). Eat heartily and recharge your energy!

There is a large banyan tree in the garden, and from the windows you can see the ocean and mountains of Yakushima. Yakushima Green Hotel is a perfect hotel for families with small children, as you can experience the great outdoors of Yakushima without leaving your room. We recommend this Japanese-Western room. It has three bedrooms, a Japanese-style room, and a wide veranda, and there are few steps, so it's safe for children to run around. They also provide slippers, loungewear, and waterproof sheets (bedwetting sheets) for children.

The large public bath overlooks the majestic Pacific Ocean with the deep mountains of Yakushima in the background. Soothe your fatigue in the evening bath and wake up refreshed in the morning bath. Enjoy the luxury that only a travel destination can offer. There are also free massage chairs in the large public bath, so why not try them out after your bath?

Dinner is a multi-course meal featuring local flavors, including Yakushima flying fish and venison. Breakfast is a buffet from March to November, and a compact Japanese set meal buffet from December to February. Children's bowls, spoons, and forks are provided in the restaurant.

Marine Blue Yakushima is an ocean view resort hotel located in the northwest of Yakushima, facing Nagata Inakahama Beach. There is a spacious wooden deck, so you can relax and watch your children play on the beach, or gaze at the stars at night and enjoy a peaceful time. You can go directly out onto the wooden deck from the ocean-facing rooms.

This is a Japanese-style room facing the mountain. Although you can't see the ocean from the room, it is bright and spacious. The windows are positioned high up, so babies and small children can stay safely. There is also a 12-tatami Japanese-style room that can accommodate up to four people.

There are very few restaurants and shops in the Nagata area, so plans with meal included are popular. Dinner is mainly seafood dishes made with local ingredients. For breakfast, you can try a variety of different dishes in small portions.

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Nagata Inakahama, where the hotel is located, is registered as a Ramsar Convention Wetland along with Maehama and Yotsusehama as a beach where loggerhead turtles come ashore and lay eggs in high density. If you find footprints leading from the sea, it is proof that sea turtles have come to lay eggs. The egg-laying season is from May to July, and for about a month from late July, you may be able to see baby turtles just starting to walk.
*Image is for illustrative purposes only.

Jomon no Yado Manten is conveniently located just a minute's walk from Yakushima Airport. They have standard Japanese-style and Western-style rooms, but if you're staying with children, the slow house "Tenger," modeled after a Mongolian ger, is perfect. Since the whole building is rented out, you don't have to worry about disturbing others.

The round "Tengeru" is a cottage-style room with a shower room. There is a Western-style room with four single beds, and a Japanese-style room with tatami mats. It's safe for playful children to run around barefoot, and they can relax and enjoy themselves just like at home.

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Manten is proud of its natural hot onsen. You can enjoy the water, which is said to have skin-beautifying effects, while feeling the nature of Yakushima. There is a wide variety of baths, including indoor baths, open-air baths, open-air cypress baths, and dry saunas.

Dinner is full of seasonal flavors, including fresh local seafood such as flying fish, Kagoshima black pork, fruits, and wild vegetables. Breakfast is a buffet with a variety of Japanese and Western dishes. Dads who don't eat breakfast and picky kids can choose only what they like, so they'll eat well.

Cottage Mori no Kokage is a spacious 4,000m2 property with four unique types of cottages. The cutely designed cottages, reminiscent of the countryside of Europe or Northern Europe, are very popular with families. Surrounded by the quiet greenery of Yakushima, the property also comes equipped with reservation-only bathrooms and coin-operated laundry facilities. Enjoy the relaxing island time with your children.

For families, the cottages that don't have beds and have futons laid out on the spacious floor are perfect. There are also cottages with lofts. All of them come with a hammock that can be used on the wooden deck outside or in the room. The swaying sensation is so comfortable that children will love it! It's also great that they can run around without worrying about the people around them.

There are also cottages with mini kitchens, which are convenient for families with children. In addition to an induction stove, refrigerator, microwave, and electric kettle, there is also a full set of cooking utensils, so you can make simple meals. You can also purchase alcohol, juice, snacks, etc. at the shop on the premises.

Minshuku Takesugi is about 15 minutes by car from Yakushima Airport and about 8 minutes on foot from Miyanoura Port, the gateway to Yakushima. If you take the bus that connects the airport and port, it is about 1 minute on foot from the bus stop "Miyanoura Port Entrance"! The guest rooms are mostly bright and comfortable Japanese-style rooms. When you open the window, the natural scent of Yakushima fills the room. We are affiliated with the daycare center "Yakushima Manma House", so you can leave your children there and enjoy mountain climbing.

The baths are open from 5pm to 11pm, but the showers are available 24 hours a day. Even if you get muddy outside, you can freshen up without having to wait until bath time. There is also a coin laundry and a clothes drying area, so you don't need to bring lots of clothes for your children.

Dinner is full of Yakushima's seasonal flavors, including deep-fried flying fish and sashimi. Breakfast is a Japanese set meal, but if you are leaving early in the morning, you can contact them in advance and they will prepare a lunch box for you. It's also fun to eat breakfast in nature with your children.

The lush jungle, the emerald green ocean, the birds and animals in nature. Yakushima has many things you can't encounter in your everyday life. If you find a place to stay that you like, try visiting with your children. It will be a wonderful and memorable trip for the whole family.