Northern Limit, Southern Limit

Osumi peninsula is located at the northern limit of natural habitats of two subtropical plants. One of the two plants is “Sotetsu (Sago palm)” and the other is “Hego (large spiny tree fern)”

*Sotetsu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas_revoluta
*Hego: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyatheales#About_tree_ferns

The northern limit of Sotetsu’s habitat along the east coast side of the peninsula is located at Hisaki, just the tip of the Cape Tsushiro, in Uchinoura area, Kimotsuki town. The Tajiri fishing port and around the cape Sata in Minami-osumi town are another Sotetsu’s natural habitats. These Sotetsu’s habitats were designated as a special natural treasure in 1952.

Photo: Sotetsu tree at Cape Sata

*Hisaki: http://yj.pn/CSn_Rn
*Tajiri fishing port: http://yj.pn/t7Z5zJ 

Meanwhile, as for Hego, the northern limit of its habitat along the east coast side is located near the Funama fishing port at Kishira area in Kimotsuki town. The one along west coast side is located at Nejime area in Minami-osumi town.

Photo: Hego tree at Funama fishing port

*Funama fishing port: http://yj.pn/X7m4vA
*Nejime: http://yj.pn/EOdMfV

Roughly speaking, I guess, these means that Sotetsu’s natural habitats are distributed along the east coast of the Osumi peninsula and Hego’s ones are distributed on the south side of the line drawn from Kishira area to Nejime area.


On the other hand, Osumi area also has a southern limit of a deciduous broad-leaved tree. The tree is “Buna (Japanese beech)”. Its natural habitat is located at the Mt. Takakuma. As for Japanese beech, the Shirakami-sanchi (Aomori prefecture and Akita prefecture) is famous because it is registered as a world heritage site. Through this we can see, basically Buna is distributed in the north-eastern part of Japan.

Why is Buna’s natural habitat there? A local historian said in his newspaper column, “That’s why it was warm enough for the beech to survive here around Osumi area ever during the last glacial age and it was also cool enough to survive around mountain area here even during extremely warm climate following the last glacial age”. 

*Japanese beech: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagus_crenata
*Mt. Takakuma: http://yj.pn/vnzWrw 

What a wonderful place here is! This area has such a unique ecosystem.

Here I’d like to introduce a tour course for Sotetsu and Hego natural habitats in Kimotsuki town from Kanoya. This course is 106km long. The highest point on the entire path is the Futagawa tunnel about 480 meters above sea level and total vertical climb is 1,560 meters. It may look a little bit tough.
When you come to Funama village, please go down to the Funama fishing port. Then you can find a signboard on the left hand along the way to the Funama fishing port soon. After leaving your bike around signboard, walk into a bush and see a Hego tree!

As for Sotetsu’s habitat, you need to walk down a small path to the Hisaki lighthouse to see the habitat. So I recommend you to bring sneakers in case that you wear binding shoes. I am afraid it is too dangerous to walk down with binding shoes. In fact, I gave up walking down. Furthermore, you should be very careful to ride because last one kilo to Hisaki, the road surface is not so good and very slippery.

Remember that a bike light is needed, because you need to go through a 3,300 meters long the Kunimi tunnel on the way back to Kanoya.