Are you ready for a hike? Today’s doodle celebrates Shiratani Unsuikyo, an ancient cedar forest on Yakushima Island that is home to some of the oldest trees in Japan.
On this day in 1997, the anime film Princess Mononoke, inspired in part by Shiratani Unsuikyo, was released in theaters.
This beautiful grove is brimming with biodiversity, thanks in part to the amount of rain that falls on the island. Locals joke that it rains here 35 days a month, the most in all of Japan, sometimes exceeding 8,000 mm per year. The valley and surrounding area are home to around 1,900 species of plants, 150 species of birds and 16 species of mammals, some of which are endemic or found only in the area, such as the Yakushima macaque and the Yakushima deer.
Much of the lush valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be explored on hiking trails. Visitors enjoy exploring the magical landscape, with babbling streams and moss-covered tree trunks. 600 types of moss can be found here. These magical views were the inspiration for the animated film Princess Mononoke. One of the longest hiking trails leads to the Jomon Cedar, the oldest tree in the forest. This ancient evergreen tree is estimated to be 2,000-7,000 years old, making it a Yakusugi, a name given to cedars over 1,000 years old. A round trip hike to Jomon Sugi takes 10-12 hours.
Shiratani Unsuikyo’s moss-merizing landscapes is unlike anything else on Earth. Thanks to efforts and laws to protect the natural environment, future generations will be able to enjoy the valley for many years to come.