YAMAGATA (Kyodo) The recently revealed acquisition by a foreigner of woodland that covers the headstream of the Mogami River in Yamagata Prefecture is concerning locals because of the possible impact on water resources.
The buyer, identified only as a man residing in Singapore, bought around 10 hectares of privately owned land from a citizen in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, and reported it to the prefectural government in July 2010 as land to build a vacation home, sources said.
The land is located southeast of Onogawa hot spring, which is known for fireflies in summer. The transaction follows a recent series of purchases of woodlands by nonresidents, mostly in Hokkaido.