If we have a questionnaires survey in Japan as what is the tree of representative Shimokita , it must be “Hiba ” trees that wii get 100 % of votes. As famous “Aomori-hiba” , but Hiba lives in Tugaru area in Aomori pref a little. It is the best location of product is Shimokita. My grand and my father have brought up our family by keeping Hiba forests and selling those trees. In a sense, it looks like that I heve grown up by eating “Hiba” trees and brething its beautiful perfume. So I know that I have to push it up as Nunber 1 of the tree of Shimokita. 然而 , I’d like to nominate “Yasyabushi” as No, 1 in this time.※”Hiba” is a kind of “Hinoki ” trees. This kind of tree is valued at the best of woods from the old time in Japan.
“Yashabushi” is very strong trees lived in all kind of the wasteland. The soil of damp ground is stabilised by this tree that live in. That wasteland will be good condition for people’s usu. However this tree itself is not only completely usufull at timber, but it also interrut grow other plant’s up. So it has been hatred by local people. Howevew, from the other point of view, Yashabushi is like a pioneer of opening bushes. So I feel like to respect it.
Sand dune lake is a natural freshwater pond in a sandhill. It was shaped by wind. The wind had been carring sand and formed ups and downs, and then water stream into hollow places. It is not only very valuable existence itself in the world but also it gives important environment for biodeversity that’s being lost.
There are many dune lakes in Higashi-dori village. Named lakes are minimum 13s. Salugamori sandhill (1~2 km width, 17 km length) include the rear wetland in this village has selected one of 500 of the important wetland of Japan (Actually most of Shimokita peninsula is selected also). Additionaly, Shimokita sandhill (includ this Salugamori sandhill with the next ones) is really the biggest one in Japan. However almost all japanese don’t know of it. One of the reason is that this place is hidden from the roads by pine grove for protect the wind and the sand. The other one, here is off limited, because this ares has been useing for test site of trajectory of Ministry of Defence (MD).
These are out of the area of MD. A few lakes of it look as useing fishery sometimes but not often. Most of the roads to go there is being lost by growing thickly weeds and pine grove. Creasing depopulation and ageing there. Academic reserch stopped now.
Photo:(above) O-numa. Small river prawn lives in. (midlle) Sakyo-numa. Sakyo-numa is famous for “Hime-malimo” (small moss ball), but how is it now? (bottom) An old woman was picking “Jun-sai” (the water shield) from the water at lake Ala-numa. ※numa means lake or pond. All of dune lakes are Nature.