Kosuge, Mountain village in Kitatsuru district, Japan
Kosuge is a village in Kitatsuru spread across mountainous terrain that is roughly 95 percent covered by dense forest within Yamanashi Prefecture. The settlement is organized into eight distinct hamlets across this heavily wooded landscape.
The village came into being on July 1, 1889, when it was formally established and placed under Kitatsuru District administration during the Meiji period reforms. This creation was part of the administrative restructuring of modern Japan.
The eight hamlets that make up this place reflect how residents live closely with the forest, practicing traditional hunting and gathering that remain part of daily life. These activities show the deep relationship between the people and their natural surroundings.
Visitors can reach the place through bus connections from Okutama Station, with regular service to nearby destinations such as Mount Daibosatsu and Lake Okutama. Checking the schedule beforehand helps since service frequency changes by season and location.
The forests here form a protected watershed that supplies drinking water to Tokyo through the Tama River system. This hidden role shows how a mountain community serves a distant major city.
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