Shirataki - Shirataki

The former name of the village (Shirataki Village) was in the jurisdiction of the Abashiri Branch Office (now the Okhotsk General Bureau) in eastern Hokkaido. The area currently occupies the western part of Engaru Town, Monbetsu County. The former Shirataki Village was separated from Maruseppu Village (now Maruseppu Town) in 1946 (Showa 21). It was merged into Engaru Town in 2005 (Heisei 17). The former village area was in the upper reaches of the Yubetsu River, and most of it was in the Kitami Mountains, with the JR Sekihoku Main Line and National Route 333 running along the river valley. Full-scale development began in 1908 (Meiji 41). Over 90% of the former village area is forested, most of which is national forest. The main industries are field crops such as potatoes, corn, and pumpkins, dairy farming, beef cattle breeding, and forestry. Kami Shirataki is home to the Shirataki ruins from the Paleolithic (Pre-Jomon) period, and the rhyolite granules in Hidarimatawa upstream of the Yubetsu River are a natural monument designated by the Hokkaido government.

[Jiro Okamoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北海道東部、網走(あばしり)支庁（現、オホーツク総合振興局）管内にあった旧村名（白滝村(むら)）。現在は紋別(もんべつ)郡遠軽(えんがる)町の西部を占める地域。旧白滝村は1946年（昭和21）丸瀬布(まるせっぷ)村（現、丸瀬布町）から分村。2005年（平成17）、遠軽町に合併。旧村域は湧別(ゆうべつ)川の最上流域にあたり、大部分は北見山地で、河谷に沿ってJR石北本線、国道333号が通じる。1908年（明治41）から本格的な開拓が始まった。森林面積は旧村域の90％を超え、その大部分が国有林。ジャガイモ、トウモロコシ、カボチャなどの畑作と酪農、肉牛飼育、および林業が主産業。上白滝に旧石器（先縄文）時代の白滝遺跡があり、湧別川上流左股沢(ひだりまたさわ)の流紋岩球顆(きゅうか)は道指定の天然記念物。

［岡本次郎］

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