Hotel Auberge Yakushima

Simple, cozy hotel, and the dinner was awesome!

The bentos were delicious, and you can order one the night before a hike so it’s waiting at the front desk when you leave. The male owner was super helpful and spoke some English. It’s just a few minutes’ walk from the bus stop by the medical clinic. We found this was the best value in town, especially since few places in this price range have a private bathroom in the room.

The owner is friendly, easy to talk to, and provides excellent service. The Jomon Cedar tour bus stops here, which is handy. It’s a bit outside the main Awa district, though there’s a supermarket and popular butcher nearby, and the restaurant area is walkable. There’s no elevator, so the stairs could be tiring after a day of walking.

Our twin room was clean and comfortable. We’d booked two nights before a day trip to Tanegashima, but bad weather stopped the ferry. We ended up stranded on Tanegashima for three nights before getting back to Yakushima. The innkeeper was incredibly considerate and helpful throughout: he booked us a dinner restaurant, arranged car rentals on Tanegashima, and booked our return ferry tickets. While we were away, he packed up all our belongings and luggage so we could collect them when we returned.