Source: History of Mt Rokko (written in Japanese)
On the 9th page of this site,
the history of afforestation
mainly in southern part of Rokko Mountain is explained.
Recieving the serious flood damage in 1893,
the disaster prevention program began.
In 1902, the test planting was done
in the Futatabiyama Shiogahara area.
From 1903 to 1915,
the Kobe City Office planted 3.34 million trees in 573 ha,
main tree species were Pine (Pinus densiflora or Pinus thunbergii),
Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica),
Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa),
and Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora).
After the forest fire in 1928,
the firebreak zone of about 100 ha had made in Sumiyoshi district.
Red bayberry (Morella rubra),
Lithocarpus edulis,
Daphniphyllum macropodum,
and Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) trees
were planted in strips on the outside of the old firebreak zone.
For five years since 1955,
the 150 thousand trees of
Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica),
Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa),
Pine (Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergii),
Japanese fir (Abies firma),
Southern Japanese Hemlock (Tsuga sieboldii),
Japanese cherry (Cerasus jamasakura),
and Kobushi magnolia (Magnolia kobus)
had been planted by the donation money
from "Rokko wo midori ni suru kai (the party to make Mt Rokko green)".
Because the pine wilting has expanded,
the wide afforestation works had done since 1966.
