Imperial forest - Ohayashi

During the Edo period, forests were managed and controlled by the shogunate and various feudal domains. In many cases, the purpose of establishing these forests was to preserve forest resources such as materials for civil engineering and construction, but in some cases they were designated as imperial forests due to their functions of cultivating water sources, containing soil and sand, and preventing wind and blowing sand. In line with these objectives, feudal lords prohibited local residents from cutting down certain species of standing trees within the imperial forest (such as cedar and cypress) (Akiyama) or from entering (Tomeyama), and also appointed officials to manage and protect the imperial forests (Ohayashimori, Yamami, Yamawari, etc.) and worked to crack down on violators. In the Edo shogunate's territories, they were called Gorin, Miyama, or Kogirin, and in the various feudal domains, they were called Gorin, Miyama, Gotomeyama (Kumamoto), Omotoyama (Hirosaki), Ojikiyama (Akita), Otateyama (Matsue, Hiroshima), Goken(Tate)rin (Takada, Tottori), and so on, and the names were not consistent, but after the Meiji period, the government incorporated all of these forests directly under the control of former feudal lords into official forests (today's national forests).

[Masatake Iioka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代、幕府や諸藩が管理・支配した山林。その設定目的の多くは、土木・建築用材などの林産資源の保続にあったが、森林のもつ水源涵養(かんよう)、土砂扞止(かんし)、防風、飛砂防止機能に着目して、御林とした場合もある。以上の目的に沿って、領主は地元住民に対し、御林内の立ち木のうち、特定の樹種（スギ、ヒノキなど）を限って伐採を禁じたり（明山(あきやま)）、立入りを禁止し（留山(とめやま)）、また御林を管理・保護する役人（御林守(おはやしもり)、山見、山回りなど）を置いて、違背者の取締りに努めた。幕府領では御林のほか、御山、公儀林とも称し、諸藩においては御林、御山のほか、御留山（熊本）、御本山(おもとやま)（弘前(ひろさき)）、御直山(おじきやま)（秋田）、御建（立）山(おたてやま)（広島・松江）、御建（立）林（鳥取・高田）などと称し一定しないが、明治以降、政府はこれら旧領主直轄林のすべてを官林（現在の国有林）に編入した。

［飯岡正毅］

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