VOL.197 OCTOBER 2024
JAPAN’S HEALING FORESTS (PART 2)
Autumn Forests with Colorful Leaves
Enjoy the Autumn Leaves of the Northland at Nopporo Forest Park
Autumn leaves at Nopporo Forest Park. The walking paths in this gentle flatland
forest are easy on the feet.
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji
In southwest Hokkaido, the northernmost island of the Japanese archipelago, lies Sapporo, a city with a population of roughly 1.97 million.* Situated in a hilly area about 15 kilometers from the city center is the vast Nopporo Forest Park. We interviewed OGAWA Yuma, a public relations officer at the Nopporo Forest Park Visitors’ Center, about the park’s attraction during the season of colored leaves.
“Nopporo Forest Park retains the look of pre-development** Hokkaido. At an expansive 2,053-hectares, it consists of natural forests of mainly deciduous, broad-leafed trees, along with planted forests of conifers and other trees. In autumn, the broad-leafed trees display their magnificent autumn colors, and you can enjoy how they harmonize with the green needles of the evergreen conifers.
“The forest was designated as a Prefectural Natural Park in 1968, and designated as a Showa no Mori Natural Recreation Forest in 1977 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Showa’s*** reign. It is also one of the world’s few flatland forests located this close to a major urban area. It also has gentle, walking paths that are easy on the feet and are used by about 100,000 visitors each year.”
Photo: Nopporo Forest Park Visitors’ Center
Natural forests account for roughly 60% of the trees in the park. There are many deciduous broad-leaved trees, including the mizunara and katsura that turn red in autumn, as well as conifers such as todomatsu, which only grows in Japan in Hokkaido. There are a great many large trees with trunks over 1 meter in circumference, and in the fall, itayakaede, nanakamado, and other trees provide a wide assortment of autumn colors that please the eye. In addition, more than 500 species of grasses, and over 150 species from 39 families of wild birds have been identified in the park, growing the magnificent, rich natural environment. It is hard to believe this beautiful place is located right next to a big city.
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji
“You can choose your desired path from a total of 17 walking trails (including branch trails). For an autumn stroll, I especially recommend the Katsura Path, which slopes gently up in the middle to offer a panoramic view of the beautiful autumn leaves in the park. There is also the Ezo Yuzuriha Path, along which you can find one of the park’s singularly popular trees—a giant katsura tree over 300-400 years old that will charm you with its beautifully colored autumn leaves.”
At the Nopporo Forest Park Visitors’ Center located next to the park, you can learn about forests and their living creatures, and you can also ask for a guide to accompany you along your walk.
“If you are visiting by yourself, we are glad to help you, too. If you don’t speak Japanese, we’ll provide you with a translating device, which will make your walk take a little more time, but we’ve found that everyone enjoys their guided tour to the very end.”
If the timing is right when you come, you will also see ezo risu (Hokkaido squirrels) and kita kitsune (Red foxes).
“Since autumn is when various plants show their vivid colors, it is pleasant to the eyes, but we hope you will also enjoy the smells of the forest. The fallen leaves of the katsura trees in the park have a sweet caramel-like fragrance, and when you smell it, you know it’s autumn. Please come and visit the park on your next trip to Hokkaido.”
* Estimate for the city of Sapporo as of September 1, 2024
** After the new government of Japan decided to develop Hokkaido in 1869, many people from Honshu migrated to the region to take part in its agricultural and industrial development.
*** The 124th Emperor of Japan, who lived from 1901 to 1989, and reigned from 1926 to 1989. In 1977, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his reign, the Forestry Agency designated three Showa no Mori forests in Japan.
**** A member of the woodpecker family that is found only in Hokkaido and parts of the Tohoku region in Japan.
Plants of Nopporo Forest Park
A deciduous tree of the beech family that grows to heights up to 30 meters. It bears 2-3 cm oval-shaped acorns that are eaten by many animals, including Hokkaido squirrels and other rodents, and the raccoon dog.
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji
A deciduous tree that grows in flatlands and mountainous areas along streams and on slightly moist inclines. It bears heart-shaped leaves and has 1 cm-long fruit that resembles bananas.
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji
This evergreen tree grows to a height of 20-30 meters. Its needles part into two at the tip and have white undersides. A typical coniferous tree of Hokkaido.
This tree bears white flowers 6-10 mm in diameter that bloom in bunches at the ends of its branches, and it produces oval-shaped red fruit.
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji
By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: ISHIZAWA Yoji; Nopporo Forest Park Visitors’ Center; PIXTA