Mount Hakkoda - Hakkodasan

A group of volcanoes located almost in the center of Aomori Prefecture. It is divided into the Northern Hakkoda Mountain Range and the Southern Hakkoda Mountain Range. The former includes the main peak, Odake (1,585 meters), as well as eight peaks: Maedake, Tamoyachidake, Akakuradake, Idodake, Kodake, Takadaodake, and Ishikuradake, and sometimes also includes Iou and Hinadake. The Southern Hakkoda Mountain Range consists of the main peak, Kushigamine (1,517 meters), as well as Norikuradake, Komagamine, Shitadake, Sarukuradake, and Akakuradake. Each volcano is independent, but many of them are cone-shaped with gentle foothills. The Shichinohe River and Tsuta River (Oirase River) to the east, the Arakawa River and Komagome River to the north, and the Aseishi River to the west flow down through the area, creating valleys and waterfalls in the upper reaches. The vegetation is beech forest at an altitude of 400 to 1000 meters, and above that it is coniferous forest such as Aomoridomatsu, and near the summit there are clusters of alpine plants such as black crowberry and cowberry, and wetland plants such as goldenrod and cotton grass.

At the foot of the mountain are plateaus such as Tashiro-tai and Kayano-kogen, some of which are used as pastureland. There are also many hot springs such as Sukayu and Tsuta. A bus road runs between the two mountain ranges from Aomori to Towada, and a ropeway runs to Tamoyachidake. Mountain climbing, hiking, spring skiing and more can be enjoyed here. It is part of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Between January 23rd and 25th, 1902 (Meiji 35), the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Aomori Infantry Regiment was marching through the snow across Mt. Hakkoda when a severe snowstorm hit Tashiro-tai, causing a terrible tragedy in which 199 of the 210 men froze to death.

[Hiroshi Yokoyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

青森県のほぼ中央部にある火山群。北八甲田連峰と南八甲田連峰に分かれる。前者は主峰の大岳（1585メートル）のほか、前岳、田茂萢(たもやち)岳、赤倉岳、井戸岳、小(こ)岳、高田大岳、石倉岳の八峰があり、硫黄(いおう)岳、雛(ひな)岳を含めることもある。南八甲田連峰は主峰の櫛ヶ峰(くしがみね)（1517メートル）のほか、乗鞍(のりくら)岳、駒(こま)ヶ峰、下(した)岳、猿倉岳、赤倉岳からなる。各火山はそれぞれ独立しているが、円錐(えんすい)状で山麓(さんろく)部が緩やかな裾野(すその)を引く山が多い。東に七戸(しちのへ)川、蔦(つた)川（奥入瀬(おいらせ)川）、北に荒川、駒込(こまごめ)川、西に浅瀬石(あせいし)川などが流下し、上流部には渓谷、滝をつくっている。植生は標高400～1000メートルではブナ林、それより上はアオモリトドマツなどの針葉樹林となり、頂上付近はガンコウラン、コケモモなどの高山植物、キンコウカ、ワタスゲなどの湿生植物が群生する。

　山麓には田代平(たしろたい)、萱野高原(かやのこうげん)などの高原があり放牧場となっている所もある。酸ヶ湯(すかゆ)、蔦など温泉も多い。両連峰間を青森―十和田(とわだ)間のバス道路が走り、田茂萢岳へはロープウェーが通じる。登山、ハイキング、春スキーなどを楽しむことができる。十和田八幡平(はちまんたい)国立公園域。なお、1902年（明治35）1月23日から25日にかけて、青森歩兵第五連隊第二大隊が八甲田山縦断雪中行軍中、田代平で猛吹雪により210人中199人が凍死する大惨事が起きた。

［横山　弘］

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