Morotsuka is...
Morotsuka is...
Welcome to Morotsuka
Morotsuka Village is a small village with a population of approximately 1,500 and an area of square 187.5 km located in the northwestern part of Miyazaki Prefecture. About 95% of the village's area is covered by lush forests, and people have lived together with the forests since long ago.
The villagers are unanimous about coexisting with the forest. They will pass on to the next generation the same "respect for the forest" that was taught to them. Morotsuka Village is like a large forest that has grown alongside nature, hand in hand with families and the community.
To the Morotsuka website
World Agricultural Heritage Forest
Most of the forests in Morotsuka Village have been passed down from generation to generation and are privately owned and managed.
Therefore, the trees that grow in the village are not only coniferous trees such as cedar and cypress used for building materials. There are also broadleaf forests such as kunugi (sawtooth oak) and konara (konara oak), which are used for shiitake mushroom cultivation, and broadleaf forests that are left as natural forests, forming a mixture of various trees.
The "mosaic forest" is a result of villagers planting trees in variety to increase and maintain biodiversity.
In December 2015, Morotsuka Village was recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage site in recognition of its traditional agriculture and forestry in mountain villages and its culture, including kagura (Shinto music and dance).