Yakushima Island Ecotourism

Guide Registration and Certification

Yakushima Official Certified Guide System

Yakushima Island has a system of professional guides who provide tourists visiting the island with nature experiences and explanations for a fee. The Guide Registration/Certification Working Group was established in 2004 by the then Yakushima Island zone Ecotourism Promotion Council to establish clear standards to ensure the quality of guides. The working group developed the system to register guides meeting specific requirements in 2005 and began operations in 2006.

There are six requirements for certification of guides to ensure a minimal level of safety. As of March 31, 2015, there were 87 guides registered under this system, a number significantly less than the almost 160 guides registered with the Yakushima Tourism Association as of March 31, 2014, raising questions on the effectiveness, impact, and necessity of the system of Yakushima guides. A committee was therefore formed by concerned parties on the island to investigate the matter, and it was decided to develop a three-tier accreditation system which reclassified the previous Yakushima guides as Registered Guides and created two additional categories of Certified Guides and Official Certified Yakushima Guides. Yakushima Town then published the Official Certified Yakushima Guide of Utilization and Promotion Ordinance in 2015, and following a transition period commenced in 2016, the Official Certified Yakushima Guide system was implemented fully in 2019.

The Yakushima Official Guide System is organized in a hierarchy with the Yakushima Official Guides at the top, certified by Yakushima Town in accordance with town ordinances, followed by Certified Guides certified by the Yakushima Town Ecotourism Promotion Council, and Registered Guides. Users can receive guidance and explanations of their nature experiences, and be assured of 'safety' using a registered guide, 'safety' and 'satisfaction' using a certified guide, and 'safety', 'satisfaction' and 'reliability' using a Yakushima official guide.

The Guide System
Official Certified Yakushima Guidecontrolling body:Yakushima Town

  1. Accredited as a certified guide (meeting all requirements for registered guides and certified guides)
  2. Taxpayer in Yakushima Town

Requirements for Guides
Certified Guidecontrolling body: Yakushima Town Ecotourism Promotion Council

  1. Registered as registered guide (meeting all requirements for registered guides)
  2. Holds specialized qualifications related to mountains, rivers and oceans(Japan Mountain Guides Association, JSCA, JRCA, Scuba Instructor etc).
  3. Worked as a guide for at least 200 days or 200 times over the past 2 years in Yakushima-cho Village
  4. Passed Yakushima Island Knowledge Test (with detailed knowledge of Yakushima Island's climate, vegetation, life, culture, and history)
  5. Member of a guide activities organization formed within Yakushima Town (e.g. business association)
  6. Regularly undergo health checks, and demonstrate self-control.
  7. Resident of Yakushima Town (with detailed knowledge of life in Yakushima Town, and able to answer questions on same).
  8. Actively participating in local events (and able to answer questions on the local situation).
  9. Takes the Yakushima Study Course at least once a year.

Safety Requirements
Registered Guidecontrolling body: Yakushima Town Ecotourism Promotion Council

  1. Agrees to Registered Guide rules and Guide business common rules.
  2. Holds liability insurance for clients.
  3. Taken first aid courses.
  4. Takes part in guide seminars held by Yakushima Environmental and Cultural Foundation (on basic knowledge etc. for guides).
  5. Recommended by two certified guides from the Yakushima Town Ecotourism Promotion Council.
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