A primeval beech forest that is one of the foremost in the world
The Tadami beech forest has a huge area that is 4 times the size of the Shirakami Mountains. After walking around 30 minutes from Tadami Station, there are the Tadami Beech Center and the Tadami Beech & River Museum which features the beech trees, rivers and all of the plants and animals that live in the area. Tadami is famous as an area that is preserving one of the world’s foremost beech forests and it is also famed for having many gigantic trees whose trunks exceed 3 meters in circumference. The beech trees, which would ordinarily be cut down, are left to continue growing, and the wonderful natural environment has remained intact. This is a forest that is extremely precious on an international scale.
A recommended course even for beginners
There are two trekking courses within the primeval beech forest. One is the “Megumi no Mori” (Blessed Forest) that goes through the 4m monolithic Ozawa Falls. Then there is the “Iyashi no Mori” which proceeds over a level course that is easy to navigate by beginners. On this course which is at an altitude of 600 to 650 meters at the north end of the slope within the beeches, a leisurely walk is possible. It is also used as a substitute course for the “Megumi no Mori” when the rains make the marsh a little difficult to traverse. Located along the borders of the towns of Tadami and Kaneyama which is known as the Oku-Aizu Forest Ecosystem Protection Area, the course takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete so even children will be able to take part in nature observation.
Giant beech trees are a must-see
Something that must be seen during “Iyashi no Mori” is the group of gigantic beech trees. This forest consists of huge nationally-owned trees of 200-300 years of age covering an area of about 300ha which can be observed. As well, many of them are very dignified including the Mother Tree which unfortunately fell down in 2013.