This was the main road connecting the costal region with the mountain villages. The route starts among the rice paddies and views of the surrounding mountains in the quiet neighborhood of Oroshi. The moss-covered stone path makes its way up the slope. In addition to serving as a pilgrimage route, this road was also important for trade between the mountain villages and the fishing villages on the coast from long, long ago.

Fuden Oroshi

At the foot of Fuden Pass if you are lucky, you can see a natural phenomenon called Fuden Oroshi. It occurs between fall and spring early in the morning on days when there is a big difference in air pressure between the ocean side and inland side of this pass.
This causes a thick fog that pours over the pass and on down the slope.

Ruins of Oroshi Castle

A local general named Oroshi built a castle here, but it was taken down and a school was built on the location. You can see remnants of the original castle here and there around the school like the one in this picture.

The stone path

The moss-covered stone path leads you through a cryptomeria forest. This is the same Konogi Rhyolite stone found on the previous route.

Fuden-toge Pass and the Hokai monument

Just a little way up from the road is the pass. This pass was a strategic place used many time through history from which to base a siege on Kumano. Among others, the famous Hideyoshi Toyotomi who built Osaka Castle used this point.