Higashikubiki Hills

Tertiary hills in the southwest of Niigata Prefecture, on the border with Nagano Prefecture. The highest point is the volcanic area on the eastern border of the prefecture, and the mountain is a tilted massif mountain range with gentle slopes running from south-southwest to north-northeast. The mountain body is made of shale and sandstone from the Teradomari Formation and Shiiya Formation of the Miocene Tertiary Period, and is a representative landslide area in the prefecture. It is blocked in front by the Yoneyama Mountains, and the Hokura River crosses the edge of the tilted massif cliff. Pear-shaped tributaries are carved into the slope, and typical remote villages are distributed. The place of life is the rice terraces on the landslide surface, and it suffers from heavy snowfall of over 3 meters every year, and it has become an isolated island on land that relies on migrant workers in the winter, and depopulation has progressed. The Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line and national highways 253, 353, 403, and 405 run through the area along the Hokura River. In recent years, the number of part-time farmers has increased due to people moving to the center of Joetsu City to work, and the area has been diversifying into horticulture, dairy farming, and tourism. The sloping plateau has been designated as Naomine Matsunoyama Oike Prefectural Natural Park.

[Hisao Yamazaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

新潟県南西部、長野県境にある第三紀丘陵。東部県境の火山地域を最高部として、南南西―北北東に緩斜面を向ける傾動地塊山地で、山体は第三紀中新世の寺泊(てらどまり)層、椎谷(しいや)層の頁(けつ)岩と砂岩からなり、本県の代表的地すべり地帯である。前面は米山(よねやま)山地に阻まれ、傾動地塊崖端(がいたん)を保倉(ほくら)川が横断し、傾斜面は梨棚(なしだな)式支谷が刻まれ、模式的な僻村(へきそん)が分布する。生活舞台は地すべり面の棚田で、例年3メートルを超す豪雪に悩まされ、冬季は出稼ぎに依存する陸の孤島となり、過疎化が進んだ。北越(ほくえつ)急行ほくほく線、保倉川に沿う国道253号、353号、403号、405号が通じる。近年は、上越(じょうえつ)市中心街への就労に伴い兼業農家が増え、園芸や酪農などとの多角経営農業や観光業にも転換している。傾斜面の高原は直峰松之山(なおみねまつのやま)大池県立自然公園に指定されている。

［山崎久雄］

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