About Yakushima
Off the coast of southern Japan lies the mystic green jewel of Kagoshima Prefecture: the island of Yakushima. Subtropical forests blanket this island—forests that contain some of Japan’s oldest living trees, famously called Yakusugi. Each of these spectacular trees are more than one thousand years old. The oldest are even estimated to be of an age of up to seven thousand years.
With over 1,900 species of plants, over seventy of which are endemic, 700 species of moss, and shores teeming with sea life, residents of Yakushima enjoy a bountiful cornucopia of seafood and edible plants. This abundance is made possible by the constant flow of the water cycle, which brings up to 10,000 mm of rain to the island each year. The water cycle also plays another important role in everyday life on the island: nearly 100% of Yakushima’s electricity needs are met by hydroelectric power generation, bringing Yakushima that much closer to its eco-friendly and carbon-free goals.
Yakushima’s misty climate gives life to dramatic ravines, flowing rivers, and stunningly green carpets of moss—a dream for forest therapy. These wild and ancient forests are well-protected by both the gods of folklore as well as a UNESCO World Heritage designation. This woodland dreamscape famously served as the inspiration for the magical scenery of Studio Ghibli’s ‘Princess Mononoke’.
The otherworldly cedar forests are Yakushima’s sight-seeing darling, with well-marked hiking trails that span all manner of valley, ridge, and peak to accommodate all levels of hikers. However, Yakushima also has a wealth of other gems up its sleeves.
The bountiful rainfall creates impressive waterfalls, one of which can be approached by kayak from the sea. Yakushima’s unspoilt beaches offer coral ecosystems perfect for snorkelling, as well as opportunities to watch sea turtles nest and hatch in the summer. The island is also home to several simple and wild hot-springs, including natural-rock baths at the seaside.
KaleidoForest: A Therapeutic Fusion with Nature
Humans are a but a part of nature, intertwined and interconnected with all other life. Somewhere along the way, modern society forgot this simple fact. KaleidoForest seeks to reinvigorate our intrinsic sense of oneness with the Earth through a variety of nature- and wellness-based programs and services.
The stress-abating and immunity-boosting health effects of the forest have long-since been confirmed by science. For those of us who lead busy lives in the city; for those of us afflicted by ambiguous stress and unease; for those of us who feel worse for wear, both physically and psychologically—a visit to the forest is long-overdue. Each forest sojourn calls back our sensuous nature, our lust for life. This nature-led process of rediscovery is the foundational ambit of KaleidoForest.
KaleidoForest—led by an Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT)-licensed Forest Therapy Guide & Trainer—has developed an original method for opening one’s senses to nature. This method allows you to align yourself with the fluctuations of nature: to be connect with the wisdom, ease, and harmonic life-power of the forest. From this connection point appears a window: one that looks out into the deepest self, where the boundary between human and nature blurs. This is the space we call awai.
With this liminal, reciprocal, nature-led awai as our foundation, KaleidoForest operates under three guiding principles: our Purpose, Vision, & Mission.
Purpose: Our defining intention
To melt into the liminality of human & nature and rediscover the kaleidoscopic vitality for life.
Vision: What we strive for
For deep Shinrin-yoku to bloom and unfurl beyond the confines of Yakushima; for nature-connection and ecological balance to once again stand as a pillar for human wellness.
Mission: How we get there
By offering services which help those in need of the forest’s revitalising power to reconnect with their all-illuminating, wonderment-inducing, sensuous nature.