Yakushima

Yakushima is a 4 hour ferry ride south of Kagoshima, or if you prefer a 2.5hr jetfoil at twice the cost. If you're touring, then the ferry is the best option as you can take a shower and bath, use the washing machines and relax while you sail across the seas.
I always like cycling around islands, ocean views and mountainous scenery is always part of the deal and this island has plenty of both. The highest point is 1935m and so being such an obvious mass out at sea it generates enough cloud and rain at the highest points to make it the wettest place in Japan. But head up wind and you're sure of a fine day while the mountaintop is covered in cold mist.

This island is famous for its hiking amongst ancient cedar trees, up to 2600 years old. Yaku-saru and yaku-shika, the islands monkeys and deer which you will find but they're easily startled so the most common sound is the shrill call of the deer before darting away into the deep forest. The forest is the inspiration for the forest in the Studio Ghibli anime movie Princess Mononoke, and one of the trails in the forest is named the Mononoke path.
For cycling, theres an obvious 100km loop of the island. If you really wanted, there are 2 excellent roads up to the main visitor centers of Shirotani unsuikyou 白谷雲水峡 (650m) or Yakusugi lando (1000m) from sea level. They're gradual and never steep, but for these occasions I took the bus up and down the mountain roads. The roads look fantastic, but having energy to enjoy the walking trails are more important here.
The Shirotani walk is described as a 4hr walk on the leaflets, but I found 2 hours to be adequate for this section! The walk is very popular, so it never quite feels like you're away from the crowds, yet its still worth the bus trip up and is certainly a must-do on the island. You'll quickly see some ancient yakusugi with little effort. If you get up here, then the walk up to the lookout at Taikawa rock for an amazing view over the forest top.

Yakusugi refers to cedar trees over 1000 years old, and you can buy souvenirs made from the wood of fallen trees. All the old cedars are protected these days, but there aren't so many left as they were prized building material and in the 16th century cedar wood was taken as far as Osaka and Kyoto to build temples.
After descending by bus and cycling eastwards I met a local couple at a foot spa, which I thought was a normal onsen on the map. They recommend Green Hotel on the northern side of Anbo for a good hot stone bath, then Yakudon restaurant for a meal and campsite beside the restaurant. Great choice! This was one of the best camp spots on this tour, under the banyan trees over looking the sea - shame about the rain but that made it feel like I was really camping for a change.

The next day I took the bus up to Yakusugi-lando. Yes it already sounds like disneylando or any other lando spot in Japan, but here the highlights are the yakusugi and the easy walk around the ancient cedars is impressive. The light rain never stopped whilst I was there, so the umbrella borrowed from the info desk was invaluable, but the mists added to the mystery and atmosphere of this mountain scenery.
However, I again got round this walk in short time, and had to wait several hours in the open vistors center. Theres no heating of any kind here, the doors and windows are wide open and it so cold I was shivering before the bus arrived to take me down the mountain. In hindsight, I should have taken the bus higher up the mountain to the Kigen sugi as I would have been on the warm bus and dry.
Back on the bike, I passed by Hirauchi onsen. This is a warm rock pool by the sea, and is only available at low tide! I didnt use it as I still had some more km to pedal, and couldnt take a photo as the locals were clearly against this.
Kurio is a nice spot on the coast, and the youth travel village is a really good camping spot. Hot showers, plenty of cooking facilities but I went for the only soba restaurant in the area where I met a couple of Korean and Kagoshima medical students who are here on holiday. Kurio is one of several turtle nesting spots on the island, but the season is May to August so we dont find any down at the beach this evening.
Oh yes, if you stay at the Youth village, then you'll be woken at 6am by loud music resembling the "reveille" call they play at American summer camps. No problem when camping as I'm used to waking before dawn.
Its a coldish start, and as I head round the western section of the island, I find many yakusaru monkeys warming themselves in the morning light. This rindo is by far the best section of road on the island, zero cars to scare away the monkeys and deer and after a long climb up there are gentle undulations which drift down to the north of the island, via a banyan grove and more beautiful sea turtle nesting beaches back to the ferry port of Miyanoura.

Its climbing out of Shitoko that my rear wheel finally gives up - I first realised that the rim had split the previous night in Anbo, yet somehow I've cycled half way around this island, up and down narrow rindos and at some speed, but a small puncture occurs and I have to walk the final 4.5km to the ferry. Could have been so much worse, I had set off in the morning expecting to hitch back to port but glad to have got back by my own effort.

Yakushima was another highlight of this tour, if you go make sure its in May-August when the turtles are nesting and it should be warmer in the mountains. It will still be wet whatever time of year you go, but that really only applies to the mountain tops.