The Shirakami Mountains, also known as the White God Mountains (Japanese: 白神山地, Hepburn: Shirakami-Sanchi), are a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshū, Japan. This mountainous area is home to the last remaining untouched forest of Japanese beech, a tree species that once covered much of northern Japan. The region spans both Akita and Aomori Prefectures, with most of the area in Aomori Prefecture. The total size of the area is 130,000 hectares (500 square miles), and 16,971 hectares (65.53 square miles) were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. Animals found in the area include Japanese black bears, Japanese serows, Japanese macaques, and 87 species of birds. The Shirakami-Sanchi was among the first sites in Japan to be listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993, along with Yakushima, Himeji Castle, and the Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area. Permission from Forest Management is required to enter the central part of the Shirakami-Sanchi.

Location

Shirakami-Sanchi is a large wilderness area that covers one-third of the Shirakami mountain range. It is located in both Akita and Aomori Prefectures, with most of the area in Aomori. This region is home to the largest remaining untouched beech forest in East Asia and the last remaining forest of the species Fagus crenata in Japan. It is a leftover part of the cool-temperate forests that once covered the mountain slopes of northern Japan more than 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Beech forests are found across the northern hemisphere and are believed to have started growing around the poles before the last ice age. The area’s location near the Sea of Japan creates heavy snowfall, which helps preserve a complete ecosystem of mature beech forests that have disappeared from most other places in the world.

The World Heritage Site includes parts of four municipalities: Ajigasawa, Fujisato, Fukaura, and Nishimeya. Shirakami-Sanchi is next to the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park on its eastern side.

The entire area covers 130,000 hectares (500 square miles). In 1993, 16,971 hectares (65.53 square miles) of this area was added to the list of World Natural Heritage Sites. This area includes a core zone of 10,139 hectares (39.15 square miles) and a surrounding buffer zone of 6,832 hectares (26.38 square miles). Permission from Forest Management is required to enter the core zone of Shirakami-Sanchi.

Highlights

In addition to beech trees, forests in the area include tall deciduous trees such as Katsura, Kalopanax, and Japanese Hop-hornbeam. Timber trees like Japanese cedar have replaced many original forests in the Tōhoku region. However, within the Shirakami-Sanchi area, unmodified beech forests are densely and continuously spread. This site is mostly a wilderness with no roads, trails, or human-made structures. These beech forests have never been disturbed by farmers and remain more preserved than nearby forests. The difficult terrain and lack of access have limited logging of beech trees. Human activities are mainly found near the edges of the area. The Matagi people, a local ethnic group with Ainu heritage, live in the region. They hunt using a strict code, gather food, and offer eco-tours. Efforts by local communities, groups, and individuals, who have spent many years learning from nature, were important in protecting Shirakami-Sanchi as a special area.

Earth's primeval beech forests lost much of their biodiversity about 2 million years ago due to ice ages. However, forests in northern Japan, including those in Shirakami-Sanchi, were not affected. These forests have kept their original ecological makeup, acting as living records of the past.

Shadow Gate Falls (暗門の滝, Anmon no Taki), a set of three waterfalls, are located within the Tsugaru Shirakami Prefectural Natural Park in the western part of Nishimeya, about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) west of Miyama Lake. Shirakami-dake is a tall mountain in Shirakami-Sanchi that reaches 1,235 meters (4,052 feet). This mountain is not part of the World Heritage Site, so climbing it does not require permission. Tengu-dake is another mountain that can be climbed.

• Black woodpecker (natural monument)
• Japanese serow (a type of goat antelope) (natural monument)
• Mountain hawk-eagle
• Golden eagle
• Japanese macaque
• Dormouse
• Asiatic black bear
• 87 species of birds

Geography

The Shirakami Mountains are made mostly of granite and sedimentary rock, and also include rhyolite and quartz diorite. The area has many waterfalls and rivers, including the Anmon, Akashi, Kasuge, Oirase, Ou, and Sasauchi Rivers. The region’s altitude ranges from 100 meters (330 ft) to 1,243 meters (4,078 ft) above sea level, with an average of 1,000 meters (3,300 ft). The area has deep and very steep valleys that cross each other. The average temperature at lower altitudes is 12 °C (54 °F), and the average yearly rainfall is 1,938 millimeters (76.3 in).

Shirakami Sanchi has a unique ecosystem in its cool-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest. Heavy winter snowfall and rough terrain help protect many plant and animal species because human activity is limited. Over 700 types of seed plants grow there, including Japanese beech. The heavy snow allows evergreen plants to grow in the forest floor.