稗田のトチ
静かな稗田集落の道路沿いにあるトチ（Aesculus turbinata）の巨木は、浄土真宗の寺院であり、現在は道の反対側でより高い場所に位置する浄楽寺の跡地である。この木の根元には、浄土真宗の宗派を統一し、日本で最も影響力のある仏教宗派の一つに発展させた蓮如（1415-1499）が休んでいたという伝説がある。蓮如をはじめとする浄土真宗の名士たちにまつわる物語は、中世以来、浄土真宗が宗教生活で大きな役割を果たしてきた白川郷とその周辺地域ではよく見られる。
稗田のトチは、精神的な意味だけでなく、歴史的に重要な食料源でもあった。白川郷には耕作地が少ないため、特に冬場はトチのような木の実や果物が重要な役割を果たしていた。しかし、トチの実の調理には非常に手間がかかる。採取した後、数日かけて水に浸して虫を取り除き、また数日かけて乾燥させて保存する。調理の前には、何日もかけて殻を柔らかくし、殻を剥き、ぬるま湯と灰汁をかけてアクを抜く。最後に、もち米と蒸し、混ぜて搗くと「栃餅」ができる。
Hieda Horse-chestnut Tree
A giant Japanese horse-chestnut tree (tochi; Aesculus turbinata) stands just off the main road in the quiet village of Hieda. The tree marks the former site of Jorakuji Temple, a modest sanctuary of the Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) school of Buddhism now located up the hill and across the road. According to local legend, the tree’s protruding roots once provided a resting place for Rennyo (1415–1499), an influential priest credited with unifying the various sects of Jodo Shinshu and turning the school into the most prominent Buddhist movement in Japan. Stories associated with Rennyo and other distinguished followers of Jodo Shinshu are common in Shirakawa-go and the surrounding region, where the school has played an important part in religious life since medieval times.
In addition to its spiritual significance, the Hieda horse-chestnut was historically an important source of food. The lack of arable land in Shirakawa-go meant that berries, fruits, and nuts such as the horse chestnut played a significant role in the local diet, especially in winter. This was in spite of the fact that horse chestnuts are extremely time-consuming to prepare as food. Once gathered, they need to be soaked in water for a few days to remove insects and dried for several days for preservation. Before cooking, the nuts are soaked again for days to soften the shells so they can be removed, then covered in warm water and lye made from ash to remove their astringency. Finally, they can be steamed with glutinous rice and the mixture pounded to make mochi cakes.
