Dakedai Education Forest

This forest in the Shirakami Sanchi buffer zone shows two contrasting histories side by side: beech replaced by cedar plantations about 70 years ago, and old-growth beech that was never cut. In the logged areas, the beeches are slowly reclaiming ground as the cedar goes unmaintained. Deeper in stands one of the oldest trees in Shirakami Sanchi, a 400-year-old beech, surrounded by generations of trees in various stages of growth and decay. The Studio Ghibli team referenced this forest visually while making Princess Mononoke. The cycle of old trees falling, rotting, and feeding new growth is on full display throughout.