Wild Tsunagigaya on Mount Gomado
The Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat (田上村ツナギガヤ自生地, Tagamimura Tsunagigaya Jiseichi) is an area on Mount Gomado in Tagami Town, Minamikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture, where tsunagigaya torreya grows wild, which in 1922 was designated a Natural Monument.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criterion for famous, giant, old and abnormal trees, with Tagami Town appointed as managing body in 1923.
The designation text describes a habitat of torreya showing the same abnormality as the Ryogenan tree, growing mixed with other trees.
What Tsunagigaya Is
According to the designation text for Ryogenan's Tsunagigaya, tsunagigaya is a variety of torreya whose new shoots each year bear leaves with their upper and lower surfaces reversed.
Whereas the Ryogenan tree is designated as a single old tree, the Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat is designated as a place where torreya of the same kind grows naturally.
Tagami Town says tsunagigaya is one of the Seven Wonders of Echigo, linked to a legend that Shinran planted strung torreya nuts given to him by the lord of Gomadosan castle.
The Habitat Today
The designation text notes that the torreya here had long been cut back as undergrowth, so none had grown large.
Tagami Town places the habitat near the summit of Gomadosan. Together with the Ryogenan tree in the town, it shows how widely the legend spread.
Visiting the Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat
No official information on visiting conditions could be found. As a Natural Monument, branches, leaves and nuts must not be taken and the trees must not be damaged.
Enquiries go to the Tagami Town commerce and tourism section, 0256-57-6225.
Q&A
- When was the Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat designated?
- It was designated a Natural Monument on 12 October 1922.
- What is tsunagigaya?
- A variety of torreya whose new shoots bear leaves with upper and lower surfaces reversed.
- Where is the Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat?
- Near the summit of Gomadosan, according to Tagami Town.
- How does it differ from Ryogenan's Tsunagigaya?
- Ryogenan's is a single old tree; the Tagami Village habitat is an area where the same kind of torreya grows wild.
- Who manages the Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat?
- Tagami Town.
Basic Information
| Name | Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat (田上村ツナギガヤ自生地) |
|---|---|
| Location | Tagami Town, Minamikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Natural Monument |
| Year Designated | Designated 1922/10/12 (Taisho 11) |
| Quantity | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Managing body: Tagami Town |
| Public Access | No official visitor information found |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/836
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tagami Village Tsunagigaya Habitat (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/216229
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Ryogenan's Tsunagigaya (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/834
- Tagami Town: Ryogenji and Tsunagigaya (Japanese)
- https://www.town.tagami.niigata.jp/kankou/docs/8824.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28