Shirakami mountainous area on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, where primeval beech forests have been intact since ancient times. 1992

The Shirakami Mountains, located on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, are home to a pristine beech forest with 2,600 species of flora and fauna, all as they were in prehistoric times. The deciduous layer of beech trees, which are 2 to 300 years old, stores rainwater like a sponge, which eventually turns into humus and provides abundant blessings. The beech forests of the Shirakami Mountains on the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures have been isolated from human society for 8,000 years and have a rich ecosystem. Shirakami's beech forests, which are said to have been created at the end of the Ice Age, cover 45,000 hectares. The virgin forests that have been designated as nature conservation areas and are largely untouched by humans alone cover 14,000 hectares, making them the largest virgin beech forests in East Asia. In Aomori Prefecture, photographed around December 1992.