Tsuta no Hosomichi was once beloved by literary figures and used by many travelers. On this course, you can enjoy a leisurely hike without going all the way over the pass, while still discovering the legends, history, and culture passed down from long ago.
About 30 minutes, walking leisurely
About 700 meters
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
It is a roadside station on the Fujieda side of the Utsunotani pass.There is a direct sales place that sells local fresh vegetables and fruits, lunch boxes and sweets.The special gelato using local ingredients is also popular.
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This temple hall with statues of the bodhisattva Jizo (Sanskrit: Ksitigarbha) is located at the western entrance to Utsunoya Pass on the old Tokaido Road. While the precise year of its construction is a mystery, there are lanterns on the grounds of the temple engraved with years of the Kanbun (1661 –1673) and Genroku (1688 – 1704) eras, so it is clearly a place long visited by travelers praying for safety when they cross the mountain. Legend has it that Jizo helped peasants in need, such as by pulling the nose ring of a cow unable to walk in order to make it move again, and by reaping the rice harvest. For that reason, he is also referred to as Hanatori (Nose-Pulling) Jizo or Inekari (Rice-Harvesting) Jizo in Japanese. It is customary to offer a sickle as a sign of appreciation when one’s prayers are answered, so many sickles and other farm tools have been left in the hall.
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“Rakei” means “Tsuta no Michi” (Road of Vines). This monument was built in 1830 to lament the abandonment of the once frequently traveled Tsuta no Hosomichi, after the opening of the Tokaido Road, and commemorate Tsuta no Hosomichi as a road made famous in literature. It was built a short hike up from the West Trailhead of Tokaido Utsunoya Pass. Currently, it has been relocated behind Sakashita Jizodo.
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It is a park at the climbing entrance on the Fujieda side of the Tsuta no Hosomichi.A lawn plaza, a suspension bridge, and a rest area are maintained along the Kiwada River flowing nearby.It is also a popular spot for viewing autumn colors in autumn.
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This dam was built to prevent landslides after a mountain upstream on the Kiwada River collapsed due to heavy rain in 1910, leading to severe damage downstream. The structure is a rockfill dam, also known as a “helmet dam” in Japan for its resemblance to a warrior’s helmet. There are eight such dams on the Kiwada River, listed on the register of national tangible cultural properties for their value to the nation as historic check dams.
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It is a masonry canal located upstream of the Kiwada River, at the eastern end of Tsutano Hosendo Park.It was built between 1900 and 1914 to prevent sediment-related disasters.It is registered as a tangible cultural property of the country.
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