Senri Hills

A hilly area in the northern part of the Osaka Plain, spanning the cities of Suita, Toyonaka, Minoh, Ibaraki, and Settsu. It is also called Senriyama Hills. The terrain is high in the north, reaching a maximum of 134 meters. The name Senriyama comes from the vast terrain that drops in a semicircular shape to the south. The Osaka Group is made up of alternating layers of gravel and clay that were deposited from the end of the Pliocene to the early Pleistocene (Pleistocene). There are many layers of volcanic ash sandwiched between them, and the upper part is dominated by marine clay layers. There are many mixed forests, and some parts were used as bamboo forests and orchards, but in 1921 (Taisho 10), the Kita-Osaka Electric Railway (now the Hankyu Electric Railway Senri Line) was opened to Senriyama Station, and the Senriyama residential area appeared, beginning to develop as a suburban residential area of ​​Osaka City. After the Second World War, Senri New Town (1,150 hectares in area, planned population 150,000) was built, completely changing the appearance of the hills. In 1970 (Showa 45), the Japan World Exposition was held in the northeastern part of the hills, and the site became the Expo Commemoration Park, which includes the National Museum of Ethnology, the Natural and Cultural Gardens, and a Japanese garden.

[Noboru Maeda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大阪平野の北部、吹田(すいた)、豊中(とよなか)、箕面(みのお)、茨木(いばらき)、摂津(せっつ)の各市にまたがる丘陵。千里山丘陵(せんりやまきゅうりょう)ともいう。地形は北に高く、最高134メートル。南に半円形状に低くなる広大な地形から千里山の名が生じた。大阪層群とよばれる鮮新世末から更新世（洪積世）前半にかけて堆積(たいせき)した砂礫(されき)層と粘土層が交互に重なり合っている。火山灰層を何枚も挟み、上部には海成粘土層が多い。雑木林が多く、一部が竹林や果樹園に利用されていたが、1921年（大正10）北大阪電鉄（現阪急電鉄千里線）が千里山駅まで開通、千里山住宅地が出現し、大阪市の郊外住宅地として開け始めた。第二次世界大戦後、千里ニュータウン（広さ1150ヘクタール、計画人口15万人）がつくられ、丘陵の様相は一変した。1970年（昭和45）には日本万国博覧会が丘陵北東部に開催され、跡地は万国博記念公園となり、国立民族学博物館、自然文化園、日本庭園などがある。

［前田　昇］

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