"I still vividly remember the time I came across Hoshi Pass while hiking along the old Mikuni Kaido road. Just hearing the name of the place makes me imagine a frightening atmosphere and prepare myself for it, but when I actually stood there, contrary to that ambiance, I felt it was a quiet pass filled with history and stories.

This place was on the old highway connecting Mikuni Pass and Nagai-juku, and during the Edo period it was an extremely important route, used by trains on their alternate attendance routes. When I heard that many famous writers, such as Yosano Tekkan, Akiko, Wakayama Bokusui, and Kawabata Yasunari, also traveled this pass, I felt the weight of history and my heart warmed, knowing that I was walking the same path.

I was particularly intrigued by the origin of the name Hoshi Pass. There is a legend that in the past, monsters would appear on this pass and attack travelers. As a result, travelers were apparently afraid to pass through, and so the legend goes that in order to confine the monster, travelers carved each character of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra into pebbles, buried them, and built a memorial tower. Hearing that the monster has not appeared since the memorial tower was built, I was curious to know what kind of monster appeared and wished the information board had provided more detail. However, I could sense how much people in the past feared crossing this pass, and I got a real sense of how crucial crossing the pass was for travelers back then.

When I actually walked the old Mikuni Kaido, the road was generally gentle, and very easy to walk on. As I walked through a natural forest of broadleaf trees and larch, I imagined it would be especially beautiful in the autumn foliage season. If you visit during this season, I'm sure it would be a truly spectacular nature trail.

I felt truly grateful when I spotted a magnificent gazebo halfway through what must have been a daunting journey across the pass. While it's a welcome rest stop for modern hikers, I imagine how much peace it must have provided travelers in the past. Thanks to the gazebo's presence, the place, despite its frightening name, seems somehow peaceful and relaxing.

Furthermore, Hosshi Pass is also the site of an ancient battlefield from the Boshin War, and learning that it's a place not only associated with legends of yokai but also a major historical event in Japan, further deepened my interest.

As for the hiking trail, a five-minute steep climb from the junction with Nagai-juku leads to the Jibu Trail, which was once built by the people of Sarugakyo-juku. Apparently, there's also a route leading down the mountain toward Sarugakyo Onsen. The hiking trail from Mikuni Pass to Sarugakyo Onsen is approximately 15 kilometers long, and the average hiking time is four hours and 30 minutes. Rather than mountain climbing, I felt it was the perfect hiking trail, allowing you to experience history while walking through nature.

However, it seems that there are leeches in the mountains around here, so I felt that it was important to be careful about what to wear and take precautions when visiting, especially between April and October, when they are active. I was fine, but if I have the opportunity to go again, I will make sure to take proper precautions.

Hoshi Pass is not just a mountain path, but a pass full of stories, with legends of monsters, history, and the footprints of great writers. The gentle path was easy to walk on, and it was a wonderful place where you could reflect on history while enjoying nature to the fullest."

kasako oomori

"This is one of the passes on the old Mikuni Kaido road, connecting Mikuni Pass and Nagai-juku. Long ago, a monster would appear on the pass and attack travelers, so the Great Prajnaparamita Sutra was carved into pebbles, one character at a time, and a memorial tower was erected here to contain the monster. It's said that the monsters haven't appeared since. This is also the site of an ancient battlefield from the Boshin War.

During the Edo period, the old Mikuni Kaido road was used by daimyo's alternate-attendance trains, and many literary figures, including Yosano Tekkan and Akiko, Wakayama Bokusui, Kawabata Yasunari, and Kitahara Hakushu, traveled along this pass. The path is easy to walk on, with gentle ups and downs.

Also, a five-minute steep climb from the junction with Nagai-juku leads to the Jibu Trail, originally built by the people of Sarugakyo-juku, from which you can descend to Sarugakyo Onsen. The hiking trail from Mikuni Pass to Sarugakyo Onsen is approximately 10.5 km long, and takes an average of four hours and 30 minutes. This is a nature trail that passes through a natural forest of broadleaf trees and larch, and the autumn leaves are beautiful. However, there are leeches in the mountains around here, so be careful during their active season from April to October."

Masako Yamashita

"I think this must have been the key point in crossing the pass. It's a place with a scary name, but there's also a nice gazebo, which I was grateful for."

車団吉