Unique Ecosystems: Japan’s Beech Forests
mountain life 3.1.2021
I began writing this article with the purpose of focusing on nature, but the people who live in harmony with the beech forest in Kyoto by the Sea have such interesting stories, that the story of the beech forest here is also theirs.
Tango’s population is dropping. But this is the reason why humans and such a wide variety of wild birds can live so close to one another: urbanization has not touched this area. Kyoto by the Sea TIMES has already published an article for Bird Lovers. Even for the people living in the Tango region, for whom birds are their neighbors, there is little opportunity to find out what birds are actually nearby. In the past, elementary school outings in Japan took children into the mountains, but now such excursions are almost nonexistent. As the number of people going into the forest decreases, and the “satoyama” grows wild. But this area’s diverse ecosystem is an exception, and has been protected and nurtured by people living in the mountain villages here on a daily basis.
｜Colors of the Beech Forest
Ikaga district in Omiya-cho, Kyotango city, colored with autumn leaves = Photographed by Kei Nakagawa in November 2017
The mountains extend into the outer region of Tango, where a pure beech forest spreads out on the slopes from Mt. Takao to Mt. Kogatake. Beech is a hardwood that generally grows in cold regions above 600 meters, but it can be seen at elevations of 450 meters on the Tango Peninsula. One of the reasons for this is the climate in winter. The cold air from Siberia is carried along by the westerlies and hits the mountains of Tango and is cooled, so even in areas as low-lying as 200 meters, the temperature is still close to that in the highlands. The other is summer fog. Water vapor from the sea and rivers rides up the mountains, and the chilled fog wets the plants and soaks up the heat when they dry. It is said that the climate is close to the cool, temperate zone because the forest’s natural cooling system works to cool the area even in midsummer. Another well-known forest in Kyoto Prefecture is the Ashu Forest in Miyama-cho of Nantan City. And while that forest is generally an unexplored region, the beech forest in the Tango region is a mountain village that people have been maintaining.
| Living off of the Mountains
Yamazato in Tango (provided by Katsue Fukamachi, Associate Professor of Kyoto University)
Until the "energy revolution," when electricity and gas became widespread, Japanese mountains were a source of energy. It was an era when kamado baths were also heated with firewood. People did logging in the nearby mountains and made charcoal there to earn cash. The Ikaga district in the town of Omiya (Kyotango City) is located in the mountains of the Tango Peninsula. Hideaki Tagami (65), who was born and raised here, said, "When I was a kid, when it snowed, the surrounding mountains turned into slopes." Trees were cut down to make firewood, and the fallen leaves were also collected for firewood. As a result, the land thinned out, making it difficult for trees to grow.
Hitting Reset on the Life Cycle
Up until the previous generation, Mr. Taue's house was in Uchiyama village in a forest at an elevation of about 500 meters. In the old days, there were no chainsaws or machinery to carry out felled logs. The villagers cut the trees around the charcoal kiln, collected the wood and burned them to make charcoal. When there were no trees around the kiln, they moved on to the next area. Ichiro Tagami (93) has strong memories from seventy years ago: "I would climb snowy mountains in March and cut beech trees in the snow with my father. We slid felled trees down the mountain on the snow and then carried them."
There is more than a meter of snow. Sprouts form below and grow towards the light, regenerating over decades. That's why the beech trees in Satoyama are called "Agariko" (rising offshoots) and the trunks are bumpy. Beech has a lifespan of 200 to 300 years, but when it is cut at a young age, its regenerative ability is stimulated and sprouts emerge. In this way, the lifespan is reset and old beech trees over 300 years old can keep growing. Associate Professor Katsue Fukamachi of Kyoto University, who has been investigating the site, says, "By continuing to cut the trees and bamboo, the beech forest will keep on living.”
Beech "Agariko". The buds blow up from the cut part and become the trunk
Logged half a century ago, this forest is now bright with diverse plants growing that support animals
There is an area called "Beech Mountain" on the slope that is sheltered from the northern wind in winter, where beech trees more than 200-years-old line the path. It's a place that was left uncut for generations in case the wood needed to be used after fires or earthquakes. Huge trees spread their branches and leaves to create a shady canopy and keep the area cool in summer. However, the average tree age is about 50 years, and much of the forest is bright with good views, along with more than 300 kinds of plants, such as oaks, maples, spicebushes, and dogtooth violets, coexist. Hares and black bears search out acorns amidst a trove of edible plants and mushrooms. Diverse ecosystems are created in this way.
| Nurturing Biodiversity
Only mossy stone walls remain of Uchiyama village
In 1973, the last inhabitants of Uchiyama village departed for good. Now civilizations only markers are intricate stone walls covered with green moss, making the mountain village look like an archaeological site. But there is still much life here. At dawn, birds begin their daily chorus; they are the voices of the forest. It is said that birds are messengers that convey the richness of the satoyama.
| Insight Courtesy of Resident Guides
Located at the trailhead is Uchiyama’s “Beech House”
There is a restroom and a rest area at "Buna House Uchiyama," located at the trailhead. However, the forest road up to that point is narrow and sometimes closed due to landslides caused by heavy rain, so please contact the public facility "Komachi Park" (0772-64-5533) at the foot of the mountain for road conditions and weather information. They are open from 8:30 am to 4 pm and closed on Wednesdays. There is also a guided tour from Komachi Park that runs between April and November. The tour starts a at 9:30 am and it’s best to bring your own lunch and drinks. The cost is 5000 yen per group and 1000 yen per person for 6 or more people. Reservations can be made at least five days in advance at the NPO Town Development Support Center (0772-75-1411).
Check out “Observational Trekking” in the Uchiyama Beech Forest
(info in Japanese)
| Locally Made 100% Buckwheat Soba
Near Komachi Park, there is a soba restaurant called Kasen, open only on Sundays in the Ikaga district of Omiya. It's been three years since the owner started growing buckwheat on fallow land. Since this past year, they provide 100% buckwheat noodles grown and made in Ikaga. All the rice and foraged-plant tempura are also locally sourced. And the food is all nurtured in the waters flowing down from the beech forest. It’s 1200 yen for a tempura set. And considering that the whole meal is locally sourced the prices are quite reasonable. Mr. Taue, the owner, says, "I am grateful to have come to a mountain village as rich as this one." For groups (10 or more), you can make a reservation for Saturday. For inquiries, please contact Kasen (0772-68-1105).