Noto Peninsula

Located in the center of Honshu, it is the largest peninsula on the Sea of ​​Japan side. It is about 100 km north to south and 30 to 50 km east to west. Most of it is in Ishikawa Prefecture, and the eastern part of its base is in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture. It embraces Toyama Bay on its eastern side, and this coast is called Uchiura, while the northern and western parts of the Japan Sea coast are called Sotoura. The tip of the peninsula is called Oku-Noto, the base is called Kuchi-Noto, and the Toyama Bay coast of Nanao and Himi is called Nadaura. Noto Island is in Uchiura, and it divides Nanao Bay into South Bay, West Bay, and North Bay. It generally has a low, hilly topography, with the highest peak being Mount Hodatsu (637 meters) in Kuchi-Noto. The Hodatsu Hills run almost north to south along the border between Ishikawa and Toyama Prefectures, and the Oku-Noto Hills extend in a northeast-southwest direction. In Mouth Noto, the Ochigata Rift Valley runs parallel to the Oku-Noto Hills, forming the peninsula's largest plain. Most of the lagoons, such as Ochigata, have been reclaimed and turned into rice paddies. The rivers are short, carving the hills into dendritic shapes, creating small flat areas. Landslides are common in Oku-Noto Sotoura and the Hodatsu Hills, and prevention is a struggle. Several coastal terraces have developed, particularly in Uchiura. There is significant accumulation of diatomaceous earth, which is processed into firebricks and other products. Uchiura has many ria coasts, and the scenery is typical of Tsukumo Bay. Sotoura has many cliffs and oddly shaped rocks and bizarre stones, as exemplified by Sosogi and Noto Kongo. Neogene layers are widely developed, but the base is made up of Hida gneiss rocks and plutonic rocks from the end of the Paleozoic era. Miocene andesite lava and pyroclastic rocks are found in the outer bay. There is little snowfall due to the influence of the Tsushima warm current. Southern evergreen broad-leaved trees such as tabu, chinquapin, and camellia are distributed, while northern ate (asaura) forests can also be seen. The area is characterized by its many reservoirs, which are sometimes flooded by heavy rains in the rainy season. Agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fisheries are the main industries, and the coasts are good fishing grounds, with many yellowtails and squids landed. Himi, Nanao, Wajima, and Ushitsu ports are fishing bases. The Ishikawa Prefectural Fisheries Center Production Department is located in Shika Town and Hakusan City, and is working to increase the population of fish. The textile industry developed in Noto, but along with the light electrical appliance industry, it spread throughout the peninsula, and the Noto Core Industrial Complex was created in Shika Town. The coastal area has been designated as the Noto Peninsula Quasi-National Park, with Wakura Onsen as its tourist base. There are many ruins showing exchanges with the continent and Sanin, and in the early modern period the area flourished as a base for maritime traffic. In addition to the JR Nanao-Himi Line, Noto Railway, and National Route 249, which circles the coastline, the Noto Toll Road runs through the center of the area. Noto Airport is located in the northern part of the peninsula, around Kihara-dake, which straddles Wajima City, Anamizu Town, and Noto Town in Ishikawa Prefecture.

[Takao Yagasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

本州中央部にあり、日本海側では最大の半島。南北約100キロメートル、東西30～50キロメートル。大部分は石川県に、基部東側は富山県氷見市(ひみし)に属す。東側に富山湾を抱き、この沿岸を内浦(うちうら)、北側、西側の日本海岸を外浦(そとうら)と称する。また半島先端部を奥能登、基部を口能登(くちのと)、七尾(ななお)・氷見両市の富山湾岸を灘浦(なだうら)という。内浦に能登島があり、七尾湾を南湾、西湾、北湾に分ける。一般に低平な丘陵性地形をなし、最高峰は口能登の宝達山(ほうだつさん)（637メートル）で、石川・富山県境を宝達丘陵がほぼ南北に走り、さらに奥能登丘陵が北東―南西方向に広がる。口能登には邑知潟(おうちがた)地溝帯が奥能登丘陵と並行に走り、半島最大の平野をなす。邑知潟などの潟湖(せきこ)は干拓により大部分が水田となった。河川は短く、樹枝状に丘陵を刻み、小平地をつくっている。奥能登外浦や宝達丘陵では地すべり地形が多く、その防止に苦慮している。海岸段丘が数段にわたり発達し、とくに内浦で顕著である。ここには珪藻土(けいそうど)の堆積(たいせき)が著しく耐火れんがなどに加工している。内浦はリアス式海岸が多く、九十九(つくも)湾を典型とする景観を示す。外浦は曽々木(そそぎ)、能登金剛(こんごう)に代表されるように断崖(だんがい)や奇岩・怪石の多い景観を展開する。新第三紀層が広く発達するが、基盤に飛騨片麻(ひだへんま)岩類や古生代末の深成岩類がある。外浦には中新世の安山岩溶岩、火砕岩類がある。対馬(つしま)暖流の影響で積雪は少ない。タブ、シイ、ツバキなど南方系の照葉樹が分布し、他方、北方系のアテ（アスナロ）の樹林などもみられる。溜池(ためいけ)が多いのも特色で、梅雨期の豪雨で水害を被ることがある。農林畜産、水産業を主体とし、沿岸は好漁場でブリ、イカなどの水揚げが多い。氷見、七尾、輪島、宇出津(うしつ)港などが漁業基地。志賀(しか)町、白山(はくさん)市には石川県水産総合センター生産部があり増殖に努めている。口能登で繊維工業の発達をみたが、弱電工業とともに半島一円に普及し、志賀町には能登中核工業団地が造成された。海岸地帯を中心に能登半島国定公園に指定され、和倉温泉(わくらおんせん)はその観光基地。大陸、山陰との交流を示す遺跡も多く、近世は海上交通の基地で栄えた。JR七尾・氷見線、のと鉄道、海岸部をほぼ一周する国道249号などのほか、中心部に能登有料道路が通じる。また、半島北部、石川県輪島市、穴水(あなみず)町、能登町にまたがる木原(きはら)岳周辺に能登空港がある。

［矢ヶ崎孝雄］

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