Protecting Japan's Sacred Cedar Forests | Haguro-san (Mt. Haguro) скачать в хорошем качестве

Protecting Japan's Sacred Cedar Forests | Haguro-san (Mt. Haguro)

Footage of conservation work on the cedar forest of Haguro-san in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, Tohoku, Japan. Haguro-san (Mt. Haguro) is synonymous with its cedar forest, so much so that the forest was awarded status as a Japanese Special Natural National Treasure, one of only two such forests in Japan, and three stars on the Michelin Green Guide Japan, meaning it is worth going out of your way to visit. Many of the 500 or so cedars that line the stone stairway of the Dewa Sanzan’s shortest peak were planted in the mid 1700s, not only to stop landslides and risk of slipping down the mountain, but so that future generations could have something to enjoy. And for those of us living in the modern age, it truly is a sight to behold. However, if you take a closer look, you might notice that some of the trees are either already rotting, or at risk of doing so. In fact, in 2017, one cedar even fell and landed right on top of one of Haguro-san’s characteristic shrines, crushing it completely. Not only is this dangerous for anyone who walks the stone stairway, it is also a huge shame. While the shrine was able to be repaired, sadly the cedar that fell is not. Thankfully, it was not Haguro-san’s 650-year-old Five Story Pagoda that fell victim. However if no one acted, that would simply be a matter of time. So, in 2017, working in conjunction with the Monzenmachi Initiative and Dewa Sanzan Shrine, local company Megurun, whose mission it is to create a happy and sustainable community and family, put together a proposal to help sustain the cedar forest. Since 2018, with subsidies from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, the groups began work and in 2019, research began into the state of each of the 500 or so cedar trees. Over the course of three days, each of the trees close enough to the stone stairway were examined, then in 2020, six of the most dangerous ones were felled. Locals were asked their opinion on how they would like the forest to appear. While leaving the forest to regrow by itself would mean in a few decades or so it would be overcome with broadleaf trees, an overwhelming majority of locals wanted to keep the cedar forest as is, or to even increase the number, or density, of cedar trees. This is in order to carry on the same views the ancestors had into the future. A scheme to continue conservation has been set up involving stakeholders from the region including Dewa Sanzan Shrine, Tsuruoka City, and the Monzenmachi Project. In order to continue the conservation efforts, the following are necessary and a budget is also needed. Maintenance of the weakened trees and trees at risk of falling Establishment of a scheme to protect the cedar forest as a cultural asset involving Tsuruoka City and the local community #hagurosan #japan #japanconservation