Mikatahara

This alluvial plateau spreads in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture, northwest of the central city of Hamamatsu. In ancient times it was called Hikumano. It is bordered by the alluvial plain of the Tenryu River to the east, the valley of the Miyakoda River to the north, Lake Hamana to the west, and a straight cliff to the south faces the coastal lowlands. The plateau was formed by the uplift of the former alluvial fan plain of the Tenryu River, and is covered with gravel layers. It has an elevation of 110 meters in the north and 30 meters at the southern end, and has a wide flat surface, with hilly terrain in the surrounding area. The plateau is poor soil and was a common pasture during the Edo period, but in 1869 (Meiji 2), tea plantations began to be cultivated by samurai who were former retainers of the Tokugawa family, and Hyakuri-en was at the center of this cultivation. In the early Showa period, it became a military training ground, but after World War II, it was developed into farmland and orchards. The water from the Mikatagahara Irrigation Canal, which has its source in the Tenryu River, promoted the development of farmland, but urban land use also expanded. The Hamamatsu Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is also located here. The Battle of Mikatagahara between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Takeda Shingen in 1572 (Genki 3) is famous, and the ancient battlefield of Saiga Cliff remains. The Mikatagahara Tomb group, including Senninzuka Tomb, are located on the eastern edge of the plateau.

[Kitagawa Mitsuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

静岡県西部、浜松市の中心市街地の北西方に広がる洪積台地。古くは曳馬野(ひくまの)とよばれた。東は天竜川の沖積地、北は都田(みやこだ)川の河谷、西は浜名湖に接し、南は直線的な崖(がけ)で海岸低地に面する。かつての天竜川の扇状地性平野が隆起運動によって形成された台地で、砂礫(されき)層が覆う。北部で110メートル、南端で30メートルの標高をもち、平坦(へいたん)面は広く、周辺は丘陵性地形である。台地面はやせた土地で江戸時代入会(いりあい)採草地であったが、1869年（明治2）徳川家旧臣の士族授産による茶園の開墾が始まり、百里園はその中心であった。昭和初期、軍の演習場になったが、第二次世界大戦後は開拓が行われ、畑地、樹園地が開かれた。天竜川に水源をもつ三方原用水の導水は耕地化を進めたが、都市的土地利用も拡大した。航空自衛隊浜松基地もある。1572年（元亀3）徳川家康と武田信玄(しんげん)の三方ヶ原の戦いは名高く、古戦場犀ヶ崖(さいががけ)が残る。また千人塚古墳をはじめ三方原古墳群が台地東縁に分布する。

［北川光雄］

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