The settlement of “Nomugi” lies on a compound talus at the hight of 1320m above sea level. (Fig. II) This talus was constructed on the northern side of “River Mashita”, at the western foot of “Nomugi Pass” 1672 meters high). “Nomugi” was the most important pass in the “Northern Japanese Alps” in the days about 50 years ago, through which a highway was constructed in the feudal times from Takayama to Matsumoto (Fig. I). Every day about 70-80 “da” (one “da” is the cargo of one cattle) was conveyed through this pass.
In the settlement of “Nomugi” there are 29 houses now, but about 50 years ago were neary 50 houses. Among these houses, there were three inns, four doss houses and other shops such as bar, grocers, etc. But all these shops transformed their occupations to agricultural, pastral, or forestry. As the result of this change of trade, the prosperity of this village was declined. The reason of this decline was the construction of Chuo Line Railway from Nagoya to Tokyo, and then the opening of Hokuriku L.R.W. along the coast of Japan Sea and finally Takayama L.R.W. from Gifu to Toyama. All the communication through “Nomugi pass” was pillaged by these rail road traffic, and the number of “Nomugi” decreased gradually from about 50 to 30 since 50 years ago. Thus this settlement has turnd into a lonely mountain village and “Nomugi Pass” was almost closed to passengers. This village is a rare example in Japan which has no medical man and no electric lamp.
But this place would revive if a plan of construction of tourist bus road on the ridge line from “Nomugi Pass” to the top of Norikura Volcano only be realized in these years.
The meaning of the place name of “Nomugi” may be explained an old Japanese words, namely “no”=field, “mugi”=apparent place from every direction. This means the topographical feature of the talus on which this settlement stands.
The annual mean temperature of this place is 6.7°C.. This value coincides with that of the inner land type climate in the central part of Hokkaido. With the summer maximum temperature 28°C, and comparatively stronger sunshine with longer shining hour, these owe to the nature landform of talus on which this village stands, farmers can plant summer crops suitable to the low temperature such as buckwheat, barnyardgrass, soyabean, millet, corn etc.. Thus the production of crops. amounts to 90% of the whole agricultural products. But rice culture finds no place on account of the low temperature. As the result of the shorter period free from the frost (199 days), these crops frequently experienced the frost damage and diminished the yield.
Thus the length of self sustaining of food in this village is only 4…5 months in a year. (Average number of cultivated field per one house is one ha..) We can find a definite relationship between the distance from farm house and the species of crop; namely vegetable field near the house, fields of buckwheat, millet etc. apart from it. Because the former requires much more labour than the latter. Mulberry trees are planted on foot-path or on the escarpments of river terraces and their tall trees need a ladder to pick the leaves.
This village has 47 head of plough cattle by 27 farm houses. They breed them in the way of transhumance; grazing in summer, pen feeding in winter. Summer grazing is taken in the sloping pasture on the mountain side of Norikura Volcano (Its area is abont 800ha..). Mowing fields are found near the farm houses and so they lie on the place lower than the pasture. Its area is about 300ha.. From this mowing field farmers collect their hay, and by the labour efficiency of this colection the number of cattle can be bred in one farm house is defined. In this village the highest number is only 3.
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