The Four Seasons of Shirakami-sanchi: UNESCO Culture Sector

The summers here, in the northern region, are short. Heavy rain pours down on the forest; but about a third of the waterfall is blocked by leaves and doesn’t reach the ground below. The large leaves act as cushions as rainwater slowly makes its way down the tree trunks.

A saying goes, among the villagers, that: "The water stored in a beech tree is enough to cultivate one patch of rice paddy".

A palette of gold colours decorates the forest in autumn. Beech trees retain their leaves longer than other broad-leaved trees. They stay until the first snowfall.

Here, it’s winter in Shirakami-sanchi. Why do beech trees dominate in the forest? The key to that can be found in the winter months. Other type of trees can endure the cold but can’t stand the weight of the thick snow. Only beech trees with their strength and flexibility thrive.

In February, when the temperature drops to its lowest, the villagers head for the waterfall at the foot of the mountain to celebrate the God of the mountains. Through this waterfall, "the water of life" flows into the fields of rice.