After coming back to here, to keep this forest add our office's task and I went here last week to patrol. Last time I worked here before going Vietnam in 2011, the modifying walk of this forest was on going. To me, this is the first time to visit the forest after modified and I found it so nice.
So, this time I introduce all my friends about this forest.
大きな地図で見る
First, I'll show you the place of the forest. Ishina Natural Ceder Forest is on north Sado mountains called "Osado mountains". And here can see Japanese cedar tree, in Japanese called "Sugi" tree. North Sado mountains has one forest road named "Ishina - wagi" road and the forest is in almost middle of road and top of mountains.
The hight of the forest is about 900m above the sea. If you go down mountain about 10 km east or west, you can arrive at sea. Maybe, you may understand how near to sea is (or how small Sado island is) and how solid these mountain is.
Niigata prefecture modified the walk in this forest because of safety for visitors and not to hurt forest in 2011. Owing to "Ishina - Wagi" road, we can get very easy to the forest by car and enjoy about 40 minutes walking around in the forest.
You may think Japan has many natural forest. But it's not true. Almost all Japanese forest is "artificial" forest.
Past days, most of Japanese forest was used by the people heavily for these daily lives. After the "Energy revolution" began in 1960's, people do not use forest to collect fire wood or charcoal little by little. And intervention to forest by the people getting smaller and smaller from that time. Therefore, now many forest is looks like natural forest. But strictly, it's difference.
In Japan, Aya forest in Miyazaki pref. and Shirakami forest in Akita and Aomori pref. are well known as natural forest. These are broad leaves tree forest. On the other hand, natural coniferous forests like cedar forests are quite a few. Yakushima island's Yaku-sugi forest in Kagoshima pref. is only known as natural coniferous forest in Japan as far as I know.
Japan has long history of using coniferous tree and method of manage artificial forest occupying 40% of all Japanese forest is mainly planted Sugi tree and Hinoki tree, kind of cedar. Most of all original (or natural) sugi or Hinoki forest had already cut down and afforested as artificial forest long long time ago. And natural sugi forest left over now is the one very dis-convenient place for management by person like deep of the mountains or island, I think.
Past days, Sado island had gold mines. Because this, the island is Shogun's land in Edo Period (1603-1868) after that, move to imperial household agency of Japanese emperor. And Now, this forest is Belong to Niigata pref. and Niigata university (of course building land and farm own by each people). I think that the thing Sado island and its forest belonged to public body for long time make kept natural forest.
Compare to Sado and Yakushima, I'll choose Yakushima reluctantly. Yaku-sugi is incredibly big and strange. It is said the biggest sugi tree named "Jyomon-sugi” is over 3,500 years old.
Sado's sugi is smaller than Yaku-sugi but enough strange looks and is perfectly different from artificial sugi forest you can see in near your home. The biggest one in Sado is over 500 years old.
The forest places high land and easy to change the weather. Sometimes, we get in to cloud and get wet. Someone says, "Sugi trees in here are grown by clouds and smogs for long time".
Of course, I like broad leaves forests, sure. But I also love sugi forest. Its appearance is like deny being gaudiness, just being unsophisticated modesty and I can feel hidden intensity.
To feel more its specialness of this forest, coming here by your foot. Touching sea water before climb up the mountain is more better, I think. Of course there has many way to enjoy this mountain like crossing the mountain and run right across mountains range north to south or south to north as you like and your toughness.
I think "the top of the mountain" is seriously different from other place. I mean not only its distance but its atmosphere or something metaphoric meanings. If you get in to and enjoy its feeling of "getting in another world", you should take enough time and effort. In this sight, it is true that coming here by car is bad way.
But you know, everyone not always has enough time and strength. Actually, now I got crack with bone on my foot and don't have enough toughness...
So this time, I showed you just one way to enjoy Sado island.
Distant view of this forest is surely sugi forest. but seeing close, many kind of trees live together. Forest science studies call this "climax forest" and this means transition of species had finished and no more changes to another situation.
In fact, here have many kind of trees and plants. And sugi trees just take charge of kinds of "idea" of this forest. I find it very interesting and feel deep meanings by this story.Sugi's leaf is dark green and many other broad trees have light green leaf. The contrast of many "greens" are so beautiful and making awesome spectacle.
Beside this forest, many beautiful landscape in Sado waiting you. If you have time(and little money), please coming and enjoy here!
