The basin of the large Yoneshiro-gawa
River in the northern part of Akita is rich in cedar and mineral resources.
The shipping industry has developed since early times. Cedar logs were transported
to big cities such as Osaka and Edo (Tokyo) via the port town of Noshiro at
the mouth of the river, and used as a building material for castles, ships
and houses. "Akita Cedar" has been a famous brand-name lumber since those
days.
Futatsui is a town located in the
northern part of Akita Prefecture. The Yoneshiro-gawa River runs through the
town from east to west. Futatsui is a "town of forests", with 78 percent of
the town area covered by forests. The town prospered as a supplier of Akita
cedars for a long time. Valuable cedar forests, including the Experimental
Forest in Mizusawa and the virgin forest in Mt. Nanakura, are widely spread.