Mt. Tomeyama
Less than 180 meters high, Tomeyama is one of the lowest mountains in the region. In Japanese tome means to stop or prohibit, and logging on this mountain has been prohibited for over 300 years. The reason why logging was stopped on the mountain is unknown, but it is likely that the people living here realized the tree’s importance to the local watershed. The slopes are covered with an old-growth forest of beech and oak, including some huge trees over 300 years old. The beech trees growing here show a distinctive whitish tint to their trunks, typical of beeches that grow at lower altitudes. Beeches are particularly important to the environment of Shirakami Sanchi, they transport rainwater into the water table. A walking path runs across the mountain, but visitors are required to hire a local guide.