Tsukushi Plain - Tsukushi Heiya

Japanese: 筑紫平野 - つくしへいや

The largest plain in Kyushu, spreading across the southern part of Fukuoka and Saga prefectures, and the middle and lower reaches of the Chikugo River. It is also called "Chikushihei-ya." Its area is about 1,200 ^km2 . Its main cities are Kurume City and Saga City. The plain was formed in the inner part of the Ariake Sea, which had collapsed between fault mountain ranges such as the Chikushi Mountains in the north, the Minawa Mountains in the southeast, and the Chikuhi Mountains. Its origins include the uplift of the ground, the deposition of sediment from rivers such as the Chikugo River, Yabe River, and Kase River, and the deposition of mud caused by tides. There is also a large area of reclaimed land from the Middle Ages onwards, and many place names such as Hiraki (open), Komori (cage), and Karami (entanglement) are remnants of those times. The plain is divided by the Chikugo River, with the left bank (Fukuoka Prefecture) called the Chikugo Plain and the right bank (Saga Prefecture) called the Saga Plain, but the western part of the Saga Plain between the Rokkaku River and the Shiota River is sometimes called the Shiroishi Plain. Development has progressed since ancient times under the influence of continental culture, and the foothills have many remains from the primitive and Kofun periods. Alluvial fans have developed at the foothills, and the deltas and reclaimed land in the lower Chikugo River basin are low and humid, with a network of creeks, giving them a unique landscape. The creeks are used for irrigation and drainage, and combined with the mechanization of agriculture after World War II, the area centered on the Saga Plain has become one of Japan's leading rice-producing regions. Seedlings are a specialty around Asakura, rush grass around Yanagawa, and lotus root around Shiroishi. Vegetables and flowers are also grown, and dairy farming is also carried out. The foothills are home to a thriving cultivation area for mandarin oranges, grapes, tea, and persimmons, with mandarin orange production particularly increasing in recent years in the mountainous areas in the middle reaches of the Chikugo River in both Fukuoka and Saga prefectures. Traditional industries such as Kurume Kasuri textiles, furniture, sake, home remedies, and clay roofing tiles are also produced here.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

福岡県，佐賀県の南部，筑後川の中・下流沿岸に広がる九州最大の平野。「ちくしへいや」ともいう。面積約 1200km²。久留米市，佐賀市が中心都市。北部の筑紫山地，南東部の水縄山地，筑肥山地などの断層山地の間に陥没したかつての有明海の湾奥に形成された平野で，成因には，地盤の隆起と，筑後川，矢部川，嘉瀬川など諸川の土砂堆積作用のほか，潮汐による遊泥の堆積などもあげられる。また，中世以降の干拓地も広く，開 (ひらき) ，籠 (こもり) ，搦 (からみ) など，当時の名残りを示す地名が多い。平野は筑後川を境として，左岸 (福岡県) を筑後平野，右岸 (佐賀県) を佐賀平野と呼ぶが，佐賀平野の西部，六角川と塩田川の間を白石平野と呼ぶこともある。古くから大陸文化の影響を受けて開発が進み，山麓一帯は原始・古墳時代の遺跡が多い。山麓には扇状地が発達し，筑後川下流域の三角州，干拓地は低湿で，クリーク網が展開し，特殊な景観を呈する。クリークは灌漑，排水に利用され，第2次世界大戦後の農業機械化と相まって，佐賀平野を中心とする一帯は日本屈指の米作地域となっている。朝倉付近は苗木，柳川付近はイグサ，白石付近はレンコンを特産。そのほか野菜，花卉の栽培と酪農も行なわれる。山麓一帯は，ミカンをはじめ，ブドウ，チャ (茶) ，カキの栽培が盛んで，特にミカン栽培は近年福岡，佐賀両県ともに筑後川中流域の山間部で生産量が増えている。久留米絣，家具，清酒，家庭薬，粘土瓦などの伝統工業も行なわれる。

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