From a headwater forest, through wetlands and tidal flats, all the way to the sea. Known as Koajiro Forest, this nature sanctuary in the city of Miura preserves an entire watershed — the drainage basin of a small river called the Urano River — together with the very landforms that shape it. Through that great coastal valley, the waterways of the Urano River system run in every direction, branching and weaving like the veins of a leaf.
As you follow the wooden boardwalk down along the river's course, much awaits you: a
valley thick with ferns that calls to mind an ancient forest; the quiet presence of
red-clawed crabs only just stirring from their winter sleep; groves of alder and willow; vast wetlands woven from miscanthus and reeds; the
glow of fireflies kindled in the darkness of early summer; a garden of
daylilies adorning the wetland at midsummer; and the small creatures of the tidal flats, roused to motion with each rise and fall of the tide.
Now, together, we set out to follow the flow of the Urano River — tracing the living story of Koajiro Forest, a magnificent coastal watershed ecosystem of seventy hectares, opening onto Sagami Bay at the tip of the Miura Peninsula, teeming with life. Listen carefully. Somewhere in this forest, two thousand species are breathing still, as they do every day.
Name: Koajiro Forest (Koajiro-no-Mori)
Area: Approximately 70 hectares
Characteristics: The entire
watershed ecosystem — from the headwaters of the Urano River through wetlands,
tidal flats, and out to sea — is preserved intact
Recorded species: Approximately 2,000
Central waterway: The Urano River
Trail facilities: Maintained
wooden boardwalks (allowing visitors to explore the varied terrain across a range of elevations)
Location: Koajiro, Misaki-machi, Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Map:
Koajiro Forest Map
Official Site:
Koajiro Forest (Kanagawa Prefecture)
Supervising editor: Yuji Kishi (Professor Emeritus, Keio University)
Photography: Hiroichi Yanase (Professor, Institute of Science Tokyo)
Producer:
Eisuke Tachikawa (Representative of
NOSIGNER / Project Professor, Keio University)
Published by:
NOSIGNER / NPO Koajiro Outdoor Activity Coordination Council
