Shiragayama

This mountain is located in Motoyama-cho, Nagaoka-gun, in the central-northern part of Kochi Prefecture. It is 1,469 meters above sea level. It is located in the center of the Shikoku Mountains, and according to the early modern Tosa-shu Gunshi, the mountain's name comes from the location of Shiraga Shrine. The cypress forest was one of the ten largest forests owned by the Tosa domain, and along with the cedar forest in Yanase, it was an important source of revenue for the Tosa domain and was traded at the Osaka market. The area where the domain residence and the Tosa lumber wholesaler were located is called Shiraga-cho. Even today, there are giant cypress trees over 150 years old, and the forest is protected by the Shikoku Forest Management Office of the Forestry Agency (Shiragayama Forest Tree Genetic Resource Conservation Forest). In addition, the part of the national forest above 1,000 meters above sea level is designated as Shiragayama Prefectural Natural Park. There is a well-developed natural beech forest on the northern slope, and the southern slope near the summit presents a landscape of cypress skeleton forest with exposed serpentine.

[Yasuhiko Owaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

高知県中北部、長岡郡本山(もとやま)町にある山。標高1469メートル。四国山地中央部に位置し、山名は近世の『土佐州郡志』によると白髪神社の所在地にちなむという。ヒノキ林は十大藩有林の一つで、魚梁瀬(やなせ)のスギ林などとともに土佐藩の重要な財源となり、大坂市場で取引された。藩邸や土佐材木問屋のあった地を白髪町という。現在も樹齢150年を超えるヒノキの巨木がみられ、林野庁の四国森林管理局の保護林となっている（白髪山林木遺伝資源保存林）。また、国有林の標高1000メートル以上の部分は白髪山県立自然公園に指定されている。北斜面にはよく発達したブナの自然林もあり、頂上付近の南斜面は、蛇紋岩が露出したヒノキの白骨林景観を呈している。

［大脇保彦］

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