Shirakami-Sanchi is a wilderness area covering one third of Shirakami mountain range. It has the largest remaining virgin beech forest in East Asia, and is a remnant of the cool-temperate beech forests that have covered the hills and mountain slopes of northern Japan since eight to twelve thousand years ago. The area has an altitude ranging from to above sea level. Beech forests are distributed across North America, Europe, and East Asia, and are thought to have originated from circumpolar vegetation prior to the Last glacial period. The location near the Sea of Japan is characterised by a distinct heavy-snow environment, enabling the area to retain a complete ecosystem of stable climax beech forest, which has disappeared from most of the world The World Heritage Site is located within the boundaries of multiple municipalities Ajigasawa, Fujisato, Fukaura, and Nishimeya. The Anmon to Taki waterfalls are in the western part of Nishimeya, about to the west of Miyama Lake.
Highlights
Primeval beech forest
Apart from beech trees, Katsura, Kalopanax, Japanese Hop-hornbeam and other species of tall deciduous trees are found in the forest. Planted forests of timber trees, such as Japanese cedar, have replaced many of the beech forests in northern Japan; however, within the borders of the Shirakami-Sanchi unmodified beech forests are densely and continuously distributed. The area is largely a wilderness with no roads, trails or man-made facilities. The beech tree is usually unsuitable for cultivation of the shiitake mushroom. Therefore, beech forests have never been disturbed by shiitake farmers and remain in a state of preservation much greater than that of surrounding forests. Further to the strict legal protections, almost no logging of beech trees has been carried out due to lack of access and the rugged terrain. Also, tourism activities are limited mainly to the areas near the boundary. The Shirakami-Sanchi region also contain large areas of forest not covered by the World Heritage listing, and the level of preservation in these areas is not as high as in the central listed area.
Shirakami-Sanchi is bordered on the east by Tsugaru Quasi-National Park.
Shirakami-dake
Shirakami-dake is the highest peak in Shirakami-Sanchi. It is in height. The peak itself is not a part of the World Heritage Site and, as such, permission is not necessary to climb. The summit is equipped with toilet and shelter facilities.
