Aokigahara

This primeval forest spreads across the northwestern foot of Mt. Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. It is located on lava flows that erupted in 864 (Jogan 6) from Mt. Nagao (1,424 meters) on the middle slope of Mt. Fuji. It has a unique vegetation different from the primeval forests of the Southern Alps and the Chichibu Mountains, with conifers such as hemlock and cypress, broad-leaved trees such as Fuji cherry, maple, and Asebi growing densely, and the lava is covered with moss. It spreads to the shores of Lake Saiko and Lake Shoji, and is also called the Aokigahara Jukai forest. It straddles Fujikawaguchiko Town and Narusawa Village, and is a representative example of Mt. Fuji's primeval forest, designated as a national natural monument. Not only are there many birds and animals living in the forest, but there are also wind holes and ice caves created by the lava, and the Narusawa lava tree molds are a special natural monument. Parts of it have been developed as tourist attractions. Furthermore, some parts of the lava are magnetic and there are areas where magnets cannot work, so it is dangerous to go deep inside.

[Minoru Yoshimura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

山梨県、富士山北西麓(ろく)に広がる原始林。864年（貞観6）富士山中腹の長尾山（1424メートル）から噴出した溶岩流上にあり、南アルプスや秩父(ちちぶ)山地の原始林とは異なった特異な植生相を示し、ツガ、ヒノキなどの針葉樹、フジザクラ、カエデ、アセビなどの広葉樹が密生し、溶岩はコケに覆われている。西湖、精進(しょうじ)湖などの湖岸まで広がり、青木ヶ原樹海ともよばれる。富士河口湖町、鳴沢村(なるさわむら)にまたがり、国の天然記念物の指定を受けた富士山原始林を代表するもので、林内には生息する鳥獣の数が多いばかりでなく、溶岩のつくった風穴、氷穴などがあり、鳴沢熔岩樹型は特別天然記念物。その一部は観光地として開発されている。なお、一部溶岩が磁気を帯び磁石のきかない地帯があるので、奥へ入るのは危険である。

［吉村　稔］

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