Day 2 on Yakushima Island.As forecasted the previous day, it rained heavily on this day, to the extent of a weather warning.The forecast predicted rain exceeding 10mm per hour, and there was no sign of it letting up. I’ve had my fair share of guiding in the rain, and it’s crucial to know how to handle the guests who come expecting the beautiful blue skies, sea, and forests, only to have their spirits dampened by the sudden rain. If I were the guide, I would do the kind of storytelling and guiding I have in mind on a rainy day. But I was also very curious about what other guides would do. Despite the rain, I was really looking forward to participating in the tour.
On this day, I had Cameron from Yakushima Experience as our guide for the trek to Mt.Tachudake. Cameron, a New Zealander, has been guiding on Yakushima for over 20 years. From my perspective, Cameron is a guide who expresses his own dedication through the tour. His strong desire for visitors to experience the beauty of Yakushima, which had captured his heart, came across vividly.
Unfortunately, due to bad weather, we couldn’t reach Mt.Tachudake as planned. Instead, we trekked through the rain to a massive sugi tree called Shakasugi, our new destination. Throughout the tour, Cameron consistently showed concern for my well-being and made sure we could still enjoy the natural beauty of Yakushima despite the rain. It was a tour where we could have fun even in the rain, and I felt it was well worth the visit. Although Cameron didn’t use many words, his dedication and love for Yakushima were evident in his guidance, which I found very inspiring.
屋久島二日目。前日からの予報通り、この日は注意報が出るほどの大雨でした。一時間に10mm以上の雨予報、止む気配はなし。自分も雨の日のガイドをする機会が多々ありますが、その時に来てくれるお客どうご案内するかってすごく重要なんですよね。だって、写真のような青い空や海や森を期待してくれるお客様にとって、いきなり雨だとテンションがいきなり下がってしまってると思うんです。自分がガイドなら雨の日はこんな語りやガイディングをするけど、他のガイドさんはどうするのかな？とすごく興味があり、雨にも関わらずツアーに参加するのがとても楽しみでした。
この日はYakushima ExperienceのCameronさんに、太忠岳のガイドをお願いしていました。Cameronさんはニュージーランド人で屋久島で20年以上ガイドされているベテランです。私の目から見たCameronさんは自分のこだわりを持った職人気質なガイドさん。自分が惚れ込んだ屋久島の自然を体感して欲しいという思いがひしひしと伝わってきました。
この日は目的の太忠岳までは残念ながら悪天候で行けなかったのですが、釈迦杉という巨大杉と目的に雨の中をひたすら歩きました。ガイド中、Cameronさんは要所で私の体調などを気にかけてくれ、雨の多い屋久島の自然環境を楽しませてくれました。雨でも楽しめて、行ってよかったと思えるツアーでした。言葉数は多くないCameronさんでしたが、彼のこだわりや屋久島への愛が伝わる案内はとても参考になりました。