Minase [village] - Minase

Japanese: 皆瀬[村] - みなせ

A village in Ogachi County, in the southeastern tip of Akita Prefecture. Population 3,183 (1995). It occupies the upper reaches of the Minase River, which is part of the Omono River system, and borders Miyagi Prefecture to the south. Most of the village area is forest, with only a small amount of cultivated land on the river terraces along the Minase River. Since early modern times, the village has lived a self-sufficient life centered on field farming and forestry. Today, the main industry is agriculture, with rice, tobacco, and livestock farming being carried out, but many people migrate to other areas to work, and depopulation is serious. At Kijiyama, on the border with Yuzawa City, kokeshi dolls are produced, a tradition that dates back to early modern times.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

秋田県南東端，雄勝郡の村。人口3183(1995)。雄物川水系の皆瀬川の最上流部を占め，南は宮城県に接する。村域はほとんど山林で，耕地は皆瀬川沿いの河岸段丘などにわずかにあるにすぎない。近世以降，畑作と山林業を中心とした自給自足的な生活が営まれていた。現在も農業を主とし，米作，タバコ栽培，畜産などが行われるが，出稼ぎが多く過疎化も深刻である。湯沢市との境の木地山では近世以来の伝統をもつこけしの生産が行われている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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