14  Bukozan

　

　

      Bukozan is selected as one of the 200 Japanese great mountains. It is very popular among the people living in Chichibu and it was a symbol of the gods. It is also very important for the people who study science.

      Bukozan is located to the south edge of Chichibu Bonchi.（秩父盆地） It is also called Chichibu-dake. The figure itself seems to be carved roughly by knives because it’s made of carbon rocks.

     The scene makes a  deep impression on the  people living nearby. Compared with Bukozan, the other mountains are so calm and low.

     There is the Mitake Shrine（御岳神社） at the top of the mountain. It is 1336 meters above sea level and helped keep the people who visited it deeply religious.

      At the beginning of the Taisho period people started to take out limestone. It has taken over 30 million years to build up this mountain. But it won't be long before people get all the limestone and see a miserable figure forever.

      To climb up this mountain, you have 2 routes.  Along one of the routes from Yokoze Station you face Futagoyama. You see the limestone factories and reach Omote-sando.（表参道） At the 1-chome,（１丁目） a pair of stone guardian dogs are waiting for you at the foot of the Torii. You start to climb up the mountain. In half an hour you arrive at the 25th chome which is half the way.

      After 10 minutes you see tall cedar trees. After another 20 minutes you cross a new road to the tops and you reach the observatory. You can see great scenery. It takes 2 hours to finish climbing. Will you try it?

     There is the Data Museum of Mt.Buko in the Hitsujiyama Park which is famous for its pink flowers. If you want to know more about this mountain, please go to the museum. It will be exciting for you!  　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                                  　　　　　　(311語）

  

　

　

・Japanese great mountains 日本名山　・be located 位置する・edge　はずれ

・figure　姿　・curve　削る　・roughly　荒々しく　・carbon　炭素

・remain　心に残る　・compared  with〜　〜と比較して

・above sea level 海抜　・keep 〜 deeply religious　〜を信心深くさせる

・limestone 石灰石　　・miserable　みすぼらしい　・stone guardian dogs こま犬

・faced 面する　・at the foot of〜　〜の足下で　・cedar 杉　・at the end 最後に

・observatory 展望台　・the Data Museum of Mt.Buko　武甲山資料館   

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

秩父市 に住む中学生のJunkoは学校の遠足で武甲山に登りました。

頂上の展望台で彼女の学校のAETのAlexと話をしています。
Alex : Oh, how beautiful!
Junko: Oh, yes. We can see all the Chichibu Bonchi from here.
Alex : But why do people cut this mountain?
Junko: Because it produces limestone. It is used for many purposes.
Alex When did people first take out limestone ?
Junko At the beginning of the Taisho period.   From that time
people have been taking limestone out from this mountain.
Alex : You mean for about 100 years people have been taking
limestone out from this mountain?
Junko : Yes. But before that, it was the symbol of the gods for the
people around here.
Alex : That’s why we see the Mitake Shrine at the top of the
mountain.
Junko : That’s right. And this mountain is also called Chichibu-
dake .
Alex : This mountain is very popular among the people in
Chichibu, right?
Junko : Yes. This mountain is also very important for the people
who study science.
Alex : Why is this mountain so important for the people who
study science?
Junko : Because you can study geology from this mountain.  And
there are many kinds of plants and animals on this mountain.
Alex : How old is this mountain ?
Junko : It is 30 million years old.
Alex : I want to know much more about Bukozan.
Junko : You can go to Data Museum of Mt. Buko in Hitsujiyama Park.
Alex : I see. When we are free, how about visiting it?
Junko : OK. It should be fun!

　

・produce 産出する　・purpose 目的　・you mean〜　〜ということですね

・geology 地質学 　 ・free　ひまな