Hira Mountains

A mountain range stretching from the west shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture to the border with Kyoto Prefecture. It is a landform mountain range stretching 3-10 kilometers east to west and about 15 kilometers north to south, wide in the north and narrow in the south. The east faces the lake shore with steep cliffs, and the west is separated from the Tamba highlands by the valley of the Azumi River, and continues to the Nosaka Mountains in the north and the Hiei Mountains in the south. The summit is a flat surface about 1000 meters above sea level, and the western half, made of Paleozoic slate, sandstone, and chert, is home to high peaks such as Bunagatake (1214 meters), Tsurubegatake (1093 meters), and Shiratakiyama (1020 meters), while the eastern half, made mainly of granite, is home to high peaks such as Horaiyama (1174 meters), Uchimiyama (1103 meters), and Shakagatake (1060 meters). Blessed with tourist attractions such as the high, dry marshland of Yakumo-ga-hara, Yachinotaki, and Youbainotaki, the mountain is listed as one of the Eight Views of Omi, known as "Evening Snow at Hira," and the central part is included in Lake Biwa Quasi-National Park. Many people visit for mountain climbing, hiking, and skiing, and there are facilities such as gondolas and lifts. However, the seasonal winds of Hira oroshi often blow in early spring, lowering the temperature, and there is a proverb that says, "The Hakko of Hira is in a state of ruin."

[Seiichi Takahashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

滋賀県の琵琶(びわ)湖西岸から京都府境に連なる山地。東西3～10キロメートル、南北約15キロメートルの地塁山地で、北部が広く南部が狭い。東は急崖(きゅうがい)で湖岸に臨み、西は安曇川(あどがわ)の谷によって丹波(たんば)高地と分かれ、北は野坂山地、南は比叡(ひえい)山地に続く。山頂は1000メートル前後の平坦(へいたん)面からなり、古生層の粘板岩、砂岩、チャートからなる西半部には、武奈(ぶな)ヶ岳（1214メートル）、釣瓶(つるべ)ヶ岳（1093メートル）、白滝(しらたき)山（1020メートル）など、またおもに花崗(かこう)岩からなる東半部には、蓬莱(ほうらい)山（1174メートル）、打見(うちみ)山（1103メートル）、釈迦(しゃか)ヶ岳（1060メートル）などの高峰がある。高燥湿原の八雲ヶ原や八淵(やち)ノ滝、楊梅(ようばい)ノ滝などの観光資源に恵まれ、「比良の暮雪」として近江八景(おうみはっけい)の一つにもあげられ、中心部は琵琶湖国定公園に含まれる。登山、ハイキング、スキーに訪れる人が多く、ゴンドラやリフトなどの施設も整っている。一方、春先に季節風の比良おろしが吹いて気温の下がることが多く、「比良の八講(はっこう)の荒れじまい」という諺(ことわざ)がある。

［高橋誠一］

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