Sefuri Mountains - Sefurisanchi

This granite mountain range is part of the Tsukushi Mountains in northern Kyushu and straddles both Fukuoka and Saga prefectures. It is about 50 km east to west and 24 km north to south. The watershed, with Mount Sefuri (1,055m) as its main peak, leans northward and runs almost east to west along the prefectural border. The Fukuoka side is steeply sloping and faces the valleys of the Muromi River and other rivers, while the Saga side is dominated by a wide range of elevated peneplain-like plateaus at 400 to 600m above sea level. In the southwest, the Tenzan (1,046m) mountain range, made of serpentine and Sangun metamorphic rocks, faces directly onto the Saga Plain. Various river systems, such as the Jobar, Kase (Kawakami), Kyuragi, Tamashima, Muromi, and Naka Rivers, have developed in a dendritic shape, and small basins with rice fields and gorges are distributed throughout the area. The area receives a lot of rainfall, and dam development, such as the Hokuzan Dam, and hydroelectric power plants are scattered throughout the area, creating problems with dam construction. The area is rich in cedar, cypress, mandarin oranges, and persimmons. A transportation system has been developed, centered around National Route 263 on the Mitsuse Pass course (tunnel), and ties with the cities of Fukuoka and Saga are also strengthening. Prefectural natural parks, such as Sefuri Raizan (Fukuoka) and Sefuri Kitayama (Saga), are also found in the area, and tourism development is progressing.

[Shigeru Kawasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

九州北部の筑紫山地(つくしさんち)に属し、福岡・佐賀両県にまたがる花崗(かこう)岩山地。東西約50キロメートル、南北約24キロメートル。脊振山（1055メートル）を主峰とする分水界は、北に偏り、ほぼ県境を東西に走る。福岡県側は急傾斜で室見(むろみ)川などの河谷に臨むが、佐賀県側には標高400～600メートルの隆起準平原状の高原が幅広く分布。南西部には、蛇紋岩や三郡(さんぐん)変成岩類の天山(てんざん)（1046メートル）の山系が直接佐賀平野に臨む。城原(じょうばる)、嘉瀬(かせ)（川上）、厳木(きゅうらぎ)、玉島(たましま)、室見、那珂(なか)川など諸水系が樹枝状に発達し、水田の開ける小盆地や、峡谷が各所に分布。降水量が多く、北山(ほくざん)ダムなどのダム開発や水力発電所も点在し、各所にダム建設問題がある。スギ、ヒノキや、ミカン、カキなど産する。三瀬(みつせ)峠コース（トンネル）の国道263号を中心に交通体系も整備され、福岡・佐賀両市などとの結合も強まる。脊振雷山(らいざん)（福岡）、脊振北山（佐賀）などの県立自然公園も分布し、観光開発が進む。

［川崎　茂］

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