This are the story.
those eerie pictures.
Shiratani
Unsuikyo 
#
3
of 4
most visited
sights in Yakushima
The
Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush green nature park containing a
number of the island's ancient cedars such as the Nidaiosugi,
Kugurisugi and Yayoisugi, the park's most accessible yakusugi which
can be reached in a 15 minute walk. Shiratani Unsuikyo is one of
the most popular destinations of Yakushima as it is a
great place to see the forests without requiring too strenuous
hiking.
The park consists of a number of hiking circuits running along a
ravine with English signs throughout. The recommended circuits vary
in length from one to five hours long, but you are free to wander
around and choose your own route among the paths. The trails vary
in difficulty from a historic footpath built in the Edo
Period to more developed ones paved in stone and wood.
The inspiration for Mononoke Hime.
One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of
the forest that served as the inspiration for the Stugio Ghibli
animated film Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke). Oga Kazuo, the
lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on
sketches for the movie's forests. The mountains of the film were
further inspired by Akita Prefecture's
Shirakami Sanchi
Mountains.
The small grove is at the far end of the park on the trail to
Tsuji Toge Pass. If you continue on this trail it will lead you to
the Jomonsugi by way of
meeting up with the Anbo Trail about halfway to the entrance of the
Okabu Trail. The round trip to the Jomonsugi takes approximately
twelve hours and is more difficult than the Arakawa Dam Trailhead
route.
Boardwalk trail through the forest
Kigurisugi
