Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima's ancient cedars. This nature reserve offers a network of hiking trails...
{"Image ImageDescription": "YAKUSHIMA, KAGOSHIMA-KEN, JAPAN - 2017/06/25: Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima's ancient cedars.  This nature reserve offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours. The trails vary in difficulty from basic rough footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a special part of the forest which served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. The lead artist of the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by allowing them to produce more  resin than usual,  It also is an ideal wet climate for moss, which grows everywhere here. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)", "Image Copyright": "? 2017 John S Lander"}