地域観光資源の 多言語解説文データベース

Thatching Materials

The type of grass used to thatch the roofs of gassho-style houses in most of Shirakawa-go was traditionally a variety of miscanthus called kariyasu. The grass was grown on the hillsides of the Sho river valley, usually at high altitudes where sunlight was abundant and the soil suitable. Each family had its own field, which was tended to during the summer and harvested from late October to the end of November, before the snowy season. The harvest had to be completed before the first snowfall and was very labor-intensive: An experienced worker could reap 60 to 100 bundles of grass in a day, whereas some 10,000 bundles were needed to thatch an average roof. The harvested grass was initially dried and stored on the hillside in large cylindrical stacks called nyu. When a roof needed to be thatched, the nyu was disassembled. The bundles of dry grass were tied together and either pushed down the hill or, while there was still snow on the ground, slid into the valley like a giant sled “driven” by a villager.

Nowadays, miscanthus for thatching is cultivated only in fields reachable by car and dried down in the villages, where the dry grass is stored in sheds. The kariyasu grass itself has become a rarity, replaced by a faster-growing and more common miscanthus variety called susuki. Population decline from the 1970s onward has made maintaining the traditional grass fields difficult, and much of the susuki used in Shirakawa-go today is grown near Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture. The switch from kariyasu, which has hollow stems, to susuki, whose stems are distinguished by thick fuzz on the inside, has increased the time it takes for a thatched roof to dry after rain or snow. Roofs thatched with susuki therefore decay relatively quickly and must be replaced every 20 to 30 years, while a kariyasu roof can last decades longer.

茅葺的材料

在白川鄉，傳統上用來鋪設「合掌造」民居屋頂的是一種被稱為「青茅」的芒草，通常被種植在庄川流域沿岸陽光充足、土壤條件適宜的山頭高坡上。每個家庭都有屬於自己的土地，夏季耕種，通常在雪季到來前的10月下旬到11月底之間收割，採收工作必須趕在第一場雪降下之前完成，勞動強度非常大。每個茅葺屋頂需要用到大約一萬束芒草，但一個有經驗的人每天卻只能割60到100束。割下來的青茅首先需要曬乾，然後捆紮成圓柱狀乾草垛存放在山坡上。需要鋪設屋頂時，再把乾草垛拆開紮成捆推下山去，如果地面還有雪，也可以串成一個巨大的「雪橇」，由一位村民拖著滑下山。

現在，茅葺用的芒草地一般汽車都可以到達，所以收割後的芒草在村裡曬乾，乾草則存放在棚屋裡。青茅本身已經成為稀少的資源，被同為芒屬，且生長更快、更常見的品種「芒」所替代。自1970年代以來，當地人口不斷減少，傳統的採草種植地難以為繼，如今，白川鄉使用的芒大多來自靜岡縣境內的富士山周邊地區。由於桿內有著獨特厚絨毛的芒替代了莖桿中空的青茅，雨雪過後，茅草屋頂需要更長的時間才能晾乾。因此，用芒鋪設的屋頂劣化得更快，每隔20到30年就必須更換一次。相比之下，青茅屋頂的使用壽命要多出數十年。

茅葺的材料

在白川乡，传统上用来铺设“合掌造”民居屋顶的是被一种称为“青茅”的芒草，它们通常被种植在庄川流域沿岸阳光充足、土壤条件适宜的山头及高坡上。每个家庭都有自家的青茅地，夏季耕种，在雪季到来前的10月下旬到11月底之间收割。采收工作必须赶在第一场雪降下之前完成，劳动强度非常大。每个茅草屋顶平均需要大约一万束芒草，但一个有经验的人每天也只能割60到100束。割下来的青茅首先需要晒干，然后捆扎成圆柱状干草垛，存放在山坡上。需要铺设屋顶时，再把干草垛拆开并扎成捆后推下山去。如果地面还有雪，也可以串成一个巨大的“雪橇”，由一名村民拖着滑下山。

现在，种植茅葺用芒草的土地通常都可通汽车，所以芒草收割完后就在村里晒干，干草则存放在棚屋里。青茅本身已经成为稀缺的资源，目前基本被另一品种的“芒”所取代，它们同为芒属，但后者生长更快，更常见。自20世纪70年代以来，当地人口不断减少，传统芒草种植地难以为继，如今白川乡使用的芒大多产自静冈县境内的富士山周边地区。青茅茎干中空，而芒的茎干内却有着独特的厚绒毛，因此，雨雪过后，使用芒铺设的茅草屋顶需要更长时间才能晾干，这也决定了它劣化得更快，每隔20到30年就必须更换一次。相比之下，青茅屋顶的使用寿命要长出数十年之多。