There was an unfortunate helicopter accident on Japan’s scenic island of Yakushima yesterday in which two crew members lost their lives. When I heard the location of the accident, I immediately wondered if the poor Kodama and the Forest Spirit were okay. Yakushima is a Pacific island about 500 km south of Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu, and it’s blessed with some of the richest and most luscious old-growth forest in the country. Hayao Miyazaki used the ancient forest as the inspiration for Princess Mononoke, and you can really see the vividness in his film. This has been a bad year for helicopter accidents this year, with at least two other fatal mishaps in recent months.
Yakushima is one of the most beautiful places in Japan.
