Sayo Nakayama is famous for the following reasons.。
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One of the three most difficult spots on the Tokaido Road:Along with Hakone Pass and Suzuka Pass, it was considered one of the three most difficult spots on the Tokaido Road.
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The Legend of the Night Crying Stone:The pass is home to the legend of the “Night Crying Stone,” said to be inhabited by the spirit of a mother, and is known for its famous child-rearing candy.
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The Legend of the Night Crying Stone is a tragic tale passed down in Kakegawa City. It tells of a pregnant woman who visited the pass to pray for a safe childbirth but was attacked and killed by bandits. The mother’s spirit is said to have transferred into a stone and cried to save the baby born from her womb. A monk from a temple heard the crying and rescued the baby, raising it himself. This led to the belief that the stone brings blessings for safe childbirth and child-rearing.
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Saigyo Hoshi’s Poem:There is a monument inscribed with the poem “Though I thought I would cross again in my old age, life is fleeting. Sayo no Nakayama” by the poet Saigyo Hoshi.
Sayo no Nakayama is a pass located in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, known as a difficult section of the old Tokaido Road. Especially between the towns of Hirasaka and Kanaya, many travelers passed through this area. Today, it is also popular as a hiking course.
