The Arakawa Trail Entrance marks the beginning of one of Yakushima’s newer trails, and it leads to the ancient Jomon Sugi. The trail was created about ninety years ago for trolley rails to transport lumber. One year after the first rails were laid, the village of Kosugidani was founded near its tracks. The long rails expanded for 26 km, eventually connecting Kosugidani and the nearby village Ishizuka with Anbo, which was at the time the island’s main port.
Kosugidani flourished in the post-war decades, reaching a population of 540 in 1960. Now the village is abandoned, its logging office having closed in 1970. Remnants of the settlement, including an old school, can still be seen along the trail. The railroad track is still occasionally used to transport supplies and equipment.
