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Hitachi High-Tech

Special Feature — Part 12

How is soil formed?

Let's Learn About Japan's Different Soil Types

The layers of ground underneath Japan (called oceanic plates) move around a lot, and there are a lot of volcanoes.
In addition, the rainy and snowy climate has created many distinctive types of soil through weathering of
volcanic ash and rocks.

Different Types of Soil Found Throughout Japan

Click the numbers on the map to
learn more about the types of soil
formed by each local climate and
environment.

Peat

A muddy soil made up of plants that have died and decomposed. This is also known as peat moss. The wetlands of Hokkaido and Fukui Prefecture are known as peatlands.

Peat
Peat is formed from plants, so you can see plant fragments in it.

Andosol

Soil made of volcanic ash and plants such as fallen leaves. This soil is dark due to all the organic matter (plant matter) it contains. It also has a high water content, so land where the soil is andosol is often used for farming.

Andosol
Andosol is a soft, fluffy and dark type of soil.

Akadama

This soil is made from volcanic ash that piled up when Mount Nantai in Tochigi Prefecture erupted, and can be found in the Kanto loam soil layer. It contains a lot of aluminum and iron, and has more of a reddish-brown color than other soils.

Akadama
Akadama is redder than other soils.

Kanuma

This soil is made from weathered pumice stone formed by the eruption of Mount Akagi in the northern Kanto region, and can be found in the Kanto loam soil layer.

Kanuma
Kanuma has a light color and is similar to pumice stone.

Fujisuna

This soil is made from volcanic debris (pieces of rock around 2 mm to 64 mm created by a volcanic eruption) found at the base of Mount Fuji. The color is black because it contains a lot of iron.

Fujisuna
Fujisuna has lots of holes formed when magma cooled and solidified.

Volcanic ash

Volcanic ash is made from small pieces (less than 2 mm) of liquid magma that flies out when a volcano erupts, and is found near volcanoes that have erupted in the past, like Sakurajima and Izu Oshima.

Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash is made of very fine particles that float through the air along with volcanic smoke.

Shirasu

This soil is formed from the pyroclastic flow (fast-moving gas and matter) and ash from volcanic eruptions, and is widely found in southern Kyushu. It has very good drainage, which is perfect for growing plants such as sweet potatoes.

Shirasu
The name "Shirasu" literally means white-colored sand in Japanese.
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