Yadoriki Community 寄 is in a deep mountainous area of Western Tanzawa 丹沢. It has a long history. Yadoriki Shrine 寄神社 that sits in the center of the community appears in Azumakagami 吾妻鏡 written in the middle of the 13th century. People have lived their lives conversing with the mountain nature surrounding the valley. There is not much virgin forest especially in the area less than ASL 1000m. It’s because people utilized the bounty from the forest around them for centuries. Now many slopes along Nakatsu River 中津川 that runs in the middle of the community are covered by coniferous forests that were the result of nationally funded afforestation policy some 70 years ago. Between these relatively new afforested areas, Yadoriki has lots of forest of oaks, such as sawtooth oak and jolcham oak planted for charcoal making. It was a profitable industry before petro domination after the World War II. In Yadoriki even after fossil fuel became the main energy source, sawtooth oaks were planted. It’s because it was believed its fallen leaves could be a nice compost for tobacco farming that was thriving at least till the end of the 1970s. Now we’re in the 21st century, and the usage of forest by the community is adapting to the new post-COVID + SDGs era (; I mean, tourism and organic farming). Even though, the yesteryears’ relationship between the community and their neighborhood forest remains a lot in mountains. In addition to coniferous afforested areas and oaks over the slopes, one such remnant of old human usage of the environment can be seen in a popular hiking course. Let’s go there this week and the next. It’s a hiking to Mt. Jitango ジタンゴ山 (ASL 758m).
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| Nakatsu River and Yadoriki Community |
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| In winter, it becomes obvious where coniferous
forests are in Yadoriki. Could you see a peak on the right of the photo next to a power line? It’s Mt. Jitango. The mountain in front looks bigger but is lower Mt. Miyachi (ASL 630m). More to these next week. |
Jitango ジタンゴ is a strange name even for Japanese. Sometimes it is written in Chinese character such as 震旦郷山 whose meaning could be “the village of early morning earthquake.” … It’s an ominous name. There is a legend the name was because of a wizard called Shidagon シダゴン who lived in the mountain some 1500 years ago and taught the Buddhism to the villagers. Hmmmmmmm … that person might be possible to control earthquakes of the area due to the tectonic crash of Philippines and Eurasian Plates beneath Yadoriki Community … Anyway! Now the slope of Mt. Jitango is first covered by tea plantation, then afforested conifers, next the oaks, and the top of the mountain with a garden like spread of Enkianthus perulatus, a cute Japanese native shrub. Actually the peak of Mt. Jitango was afforested by Kanagawa Forest Instructors some 20 years ago in order to make the place appealing to hikers. These days the space is famous for its spectacular 360° view of Mt. Fuji, the main ridges of Tanzawa mountains and Sagami Bay (weather permitting, of course). The best season to go there is when Enkianthus perulatus is in white full bloom on a fine day of April to early May, or with strikingly clear red autumn leaves in late November to early December. Here comes the question; before our seniors of Forest Instructors planted the cuties, what was there? The answer: a field of sedge grass called Kayaba 萱場. Yes, in terms of climate and soil composition, the place could be good for the grasses, but it would not have been stabilized as a climax condition … It is only ASL 758m point and the space is surrounded by deciduous trees. If the place had been left to its own devices, it should have been a forest of oaks or the like.
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| At the top of Mt. JItango, there is a small shrine and a monument explaining the legend. |
The field of sedges there was maintained as such by the villagers of Yadoriki for centuries in order to harvest sedges. The grass were used for roofing, raincoats, and mulching in agriculture. It was an important resource for daily lives of yesteryears. Ages ago, Japanese villagers cleared forests that would become nice sedge field and maintained the place as such by cooperative works of the community. Normally they cut the grass once a year and the harvest were used for a family of the village to reform their roofs. The usage of sedge grass for thatching was in turn from family to family who cooperated in the maintenance of the field. The land allocated for sedged grass was common land of the villagers who joined this scheme. It had a special moniker, Iriai 入会, in old Japanese language. For the peak of Mt. Jitango, reaching there from the foot of the community is in two hours for leisurely hikers. For busy villagers of 100 years ago, it could have been less than 1 hour walk that would be nice to plan community work of field maintenance … Now the old utility field is a pretty garden of shrubs with a wonderful view. Maybe, in addition to yearly hard work for housing maintenance, villagers of Yadoriki looked forward to going there to enjoy the vista after clearing the field … Next week, I explain you the itinerary. Please stay tuned! Oh, one last word for advertisement. Kanagawa Forest Instructors Association is planning a guided hiking trip coming December for Mt. Jitango. Please check here and send an email if you’re interested in. 😉
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| Now, the roofs of houses in Yadoriki are made of modern materials … |
If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター
657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121 厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323
You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/
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