Ashigara

The name of a region in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Administratively, it is divided into the cities of Odawara and Minamiashigara, and the counties of Ashigarakami (5 towns) and Ashigarashimo (3 towns). It is made up of three mountain ranges, the Hakone volcano in the west, the western Tanzawa Mountains in the north, and the Oiso Hills (Yurugi massif) in the east, and the Ashigara Plain surrounded by these. Currently, the Tokaido Shinkansen, Tokaido Main Line, JR Gotemba Line, Odakyu Electric Railway, various toll roads including the Tomei Expressway, and national highways (Routes 1, 135, 138, 246, and 255) run through the area. Among these routes, there are national trunk routes that run to Shizuoka Prefecture, and many that have strong tourist functions connecting Hakone, Yugawara, Odawara, etc.

In ancient times, this area was the sphere of influence of the Shinaga (Isonaga) kuni no miyatsuko, and during the Ritsuryo system period, it was included in Sagami Province. During the Sengoku period, it was the base area of ​​the Gohojo clan and was called Nishigoori. During the Edo period, it mainly belonged to the Odawara domain. This area was the gateway from Tokai to Kanto, and although the route of the Tokaido road has changed several times since ancient times, it always crossed the ridgeline on the western side of Ashigara. Even during the Edo period, the Tokaido road, Yagurasawa road, and other side roads all passed through the Ashigara region, and many checkpoints and guard posts, including Hakone Barrier, were set up near the ridgeline to serve as security for the west of Edo.

The Hakone area, Yugawara, Nishi-Tanzawa, Manazuru Peninsula, and other areas have become some of the nation's leading tourist and recreational destinations. In 1979, Miho Dam was completed in Nishi-Tanzawa, creating Lake Tanzawa, which supplies water for daily life and industry to cities throughout the prefecture. The Ashigara region was also designated as part of the Odawara District Wide Area Municipality, and road, sanitation, disaster prevention, and other facilities have been developed, with the Sakawa River Basin Sewerage Project underway to improve water quality.

[Yukio Asaka]

"History of Ashigara" by Hideo Honda (1967, Shoko Printing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神奈川県西部の地方名。行政上は小田原、南足柄両市と足柄上(かみ)（5町）、足柄下(しも)（3町）両郡に分かれる。西の箱根火山、北の丹沢山地西部、東の大磯丘陵(おおいそきゅうりょう)（淘陵(ゆるぎ)地塊）の3山地と、それらに囲まれる足柄平野からなる。現在、東海道新幹線、東海道本線、JR御殿場(ごてんば)線、小田急電鉄の諸鉄道、東名高速道路をはじめ各有料道路、国道（1号、135号、138号、246号、255号）が通じている。これら諸線には、静岡県へ通じて全国的幹線をなすものと、箱根、湯河原(ゆがわら)、小田原などを結ぶ観光的機能の強いものが多いのが特色。

　古代には師長(しなが)（磯長(しなが)）国造(くにのみやつこ)の勢力圏で、律令(りつりょう)制時代には相模国(さがみのくに)に入れられ、戦国時代は後北条氏(ごほうじょううじ)の拠点地域で、「西郡(にしごおり)」とよばれた。江戸時代はおもに小田原藩領に属していた。ここは東海から関東地方へ入る玄関口にあたっていて、東海道の路線は古代から幾変遷したが、すべて足柄西辺の稜線(りょうせん)を越えていた。そして江戸時代にも東海道をはじめ矢倉沢(やぐらさわ)往還その他の脇(わき)往還はすべて足柄地方を通り、稜線近くには箱根関をはじめ、いくつもの関所や番所を設けて、江戸の西方の警備機能を果たしていた。

　箱根山一帯と、湯河原、西丹沢、真鶴(まなづる)半島などは全国有数の観光地、休養地となっている。1979年（昭和54）西丹沢に三保(みほ)ダムが完成して丹沢湖が出現し、県内の諸都市に生活用水、工業用水を供給している。また、足柄地方は小田原地区広域市町村圏に指定されて、道路、衛生、防災などの諸施設が整備され、水質改善のために酒匂(さかわ)川流域下水道事業も進行中である。

［浅香幸雄］

『本多秀雄著『足柄の歴史』（1967・昭興印刷）』

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