Since the Edo Period the industry related with the mountain-forest has been developping in Kiso area.
  Above all Narai town has gotten quite a much income from trading the fine wood-crafts, the Japan-lacquered tablewares and Japan-lacquered wood-combs made of Hinoki timber.
  Under the Shogunate-Clans regime, Narai town was granted 6,000 lot of refined Hinoki-timber by Lord of Owari every year.

  The Shogunate government and Owari clan prohibited people from cuting down the Five Kinds of Trees including Hinoki strictly. Cutting down and processing the trees were permitted only for the official use.
  All the mountain-forests in Kiso area were controled by Owari clan. However some parts of the each forest were designated as Aki-yama, i.e. open places, and people were permitted to enter there and use other plants than the Five Kinds of Trees for daily life.

  On the other hand, in Su-yama and Tome-yama where ordinary people were prohibited from entering in principle, people could cut coppice plants or grass, gather mushrooms for daily life.
　   The ecological environment of forests were maintained by those activities of the people in Kiso area.

  As the Five Kinds of Trees, i.e. Hinoki, Sawara, Asunaro, Koya-maki, Nezuko, were precious timber, even a branch of which people couldn't cut without the special permission of Owari clan.
  But to the people who took a part of the Kaido administration of Owari clan, e.g. traffic management of the Stage-Towns, quite a much volume of timber was granted for a favor of the lord. And they were permitted to make and sell the products of the timber.
  Because gaining the timber was a decisive life-condition for the peple in Kiso area where arable land was very few.

  A quarter of 6,000 lot of the refined timber was assigned for Narai. Of course much quantity of the coppice plants were used for wood- or Japan-crafts.
  In neighboring villages the manufacture of the fine wood-crafts and the Japan-lacquerwares has been growing as local industry under the strong influence of merchants in Narai town.
  Especially in Hirasawa town many people has made a living by producing Hinoki wood-crafts, Japan-lacqured tablewares and combs.