Traditional beekeeping of Japanese honeybee in Tono city, Iwate prefecture: a case study of traditional beekeeping in the Tohoku region

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to report the realities of the traditional beekeeping of Japanese honeybee, Apis cerana japonica, in the Tohoku district. The author already made field studies of beekeeping in the Tohoku district in her graduate thesisand found the traditional beekeeping is kept in three places. Tono city in Iwate prefecture is one of the places. This study is a report of the traditional beekeeping skills, the way of use of honey and popular believes at Tono city. Japanese honeybees are called "Yamabachi (= mountain bees)" at Tono city and are kept in beehives which are handmade. The beehives are made from logs and are set on the premises or in the forests. Beekeeping is begun when wild Japanese honeybees live in beehives or when beekeepers can catch the swarming group of wild Japanese honeybees. In Autumn., bee. keepers can get honey from their beehives which were left between two or three years. In the work of getting honey, selected beehives are remained for passing the winter and for keeping next year or a half of honeycombs are used for getting honey. Honey is for private use and is used not for food but for medicine.