Yamizo Mountains - Yamizosanchi

A mountain range that forms the border between Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures from the south of Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. It is about 110 km north to south and 25 km east to west, with the highest peak being Mount Yamizo at 1,022 meters, followed by Mount Tsukuba at 877 meters. The northern half is sandwiched between the Kuji River and the Naka River, and is cold in winter. It is divided into four mountain ranges: the Yamizo, Torinoko, Toriashi, and Tsukuba massifs, by three cross valleys: (1) the Oshi River, a tributary of the Kuji River, (2) the Naka River, and (3) the Kasama and Iwase Basins. The Tsukuba massif is made of granite, while the rest are mainly made of sandstone and shale from the Mesozoic and Paleozoic strata. The mountaintops are mostly beech forests, with many plantations of cedar and cypress. This is an agricultural and mountain village region, with forestry being the main industry. Local production includes timber, charcoal burning, lacquer harvesting, shiitake mushroom cultivation, tobacco leaves, konjac, tea, and washi paper, as well as livestock farming of chickens, pigs, beef cattle, and dairy cows. Gold dust, manganese, and tungsten mines are in decline, but crushed stone and granite stone are thriving. There are also depopulated areas with a high rate of population loss. There are many prefectural natural parks in Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Fukushima prefectures, with Mount Tsukuba at the center, and they are rich in beautiful mountains and valleys and mineral springs, making them a tourist and recreational area for hunting, fishing, hiking, and more.

[Akitoshi Sakurai]

"Yamizo Mountain" by Toru Kawashima (1991, Kindai Bungeisha)" ▽ "Walking through the ancient culture of Nakagawa and Yamizo" edited by the Yamizo Ancient Culture Research Group (2000, Zuisya)" ▽ "87 Mountains of Abukuma, Okukuji, and Yamizo" edited by the Alpine Pen Club (2001, Zuisya)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福島県白河(しらかわ)市南方より茨城県と栃木県の県境をなす山地。南北約110キロメートル、東西約25キロメートル、最高峰は八溝山1022メートル、2位は筑波山(つくばさん)877メートル。北半部は久慈(くじ)川と那珂(なか)川に挟まれ、冬は寒冷地。(1)久慈川支流押(おし)川、(2)那珂川、(3)笠間(かさま)盆地と岩瀬盆地の三つの横断谷で、八溝山塊、鷲子山塊(とりのこさんかい)、鶏足山塊(とりあしさんかい)、筑波山塊に四分される。筑波山塊は花崗(かこう)岩、他は中生層・古生層の砂岩、頁岩(けつがん)を主とした地層。山頂部はブナ林帯、スギ、ヒノキの植林地が多い。農山村地域で林業が主。木材、炭焼き、ウルシ採り、シイタケ栽培と葉タバコ、コンニャク、茶、和紙の特産やニワトリ、豚、肉牛、乳牛の畜産がある。砂金、マンガン、タングステンの鉱山は衰え、砕石と花崗岩石材は盛大。人口流失が多い過疎地もある。茨城、栃木、福島各県の県立自然公園が多く、筑波山を主に、山と渓谷の美や鉱泉に富み、狩猟、釣り、ハイキングなど観光休養地帯をなしている。

［櫻井明俊］

『川島徹著『八溝山』（1991・近代文芸社）』▽『八溝古代文化研究会編『那珂川と八溝の古代文化を歩く』（2000・随想舎）』▽『アルペン・ペンクラブ編『阿武隈・奥久慈・八溝の山87』（2001・随想舎）』

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