Okawa [village] - Okawa

Japanese: 大川[村] - おおかわ

A village in Tosa County, northern Kochi Prefecture. Population 680 (1995). Located in the upper reaches of the Yoshino River, bordering Ehime Prefecture to the north. Located in the Shikoku Mountains, surrounded by high peaks over 1000m above sea level, the area is almost entirely forested. A small amount of cultivated land is opened up in the basin of the Yoshino River, which flows east through the center, and its tributaries, the Okita River and the Seto River, and settlements are scattered around. In addition to timber, the town produces paper mulberry and mitsumata, and has been primarily involved in forestry, but in recent years it has also focused on raising beef cattle and cultivating medicinal plants such as coptis and shiitake mushrooms. Most of the main settlements were submerged by the construction of Sameura Dam in 1973, and the Shirataki Mine, which had a long history as a copper mine, was closed in the same year, causing a sharp decline in the population and significant depopulation.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

高知県北部，土佐郡の村。人口680(1995)。吉野川上流域に位置し，北は愛媛県に接する。四国山地にあって標高1000m以上の高峰に囲まれ，ほぼ全域が山林からなる。中央部を東流する吉野川と支流の大北川，瀬戸川の流域にわずかに耕地が開け，集落が点在する。木材のほか，コウゾ，ミツマタなどを産し，林業を主としてきたが，近年は肉用牛の飼育や薬用植物オウレンとシイタケの栽培などにも力を入れている。1973年完成の早明浦（さめうら）ダムにより，おもな集落の大半が水没し，また同年銅山として古い歴史を有する白滝鉱山が閉山して，人口が激減し，過疎化が著しい。

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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