Sayo no Nakayama is famous for the following reasons:
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The three most difficult sections of the Tokaido Road:Along with Hakone Pass and Suzuka Pass, it was considered one of the three most difficult sections of the Tokaido Road
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The Legend of the Night-Crying Stone:The mountain pass is home to a legend of a "night-crying stone" said to be inhabited by the spirit of a mother, and is known for its local specialty, "child-rearing candy."—–The legend of the crying stone is a sad tale passed down in Kakegawa City. It tells ofa pregnant woman who visited the stone to pray for a safe delivery. When she was attacked and killed by bandits, her soul possessed a stone and cried to save her newborn baby.A monk at the temple heard the cries and saved the baby, raising it himself. Because of this, the stone is believed to bring blessings for safe childbirth and successful child-rearing.
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Poems by Saigyo Hoshi:There is a monument inscribed with a poem by the poet Saigyo Hoshi: "Though I grew old, I thought I would cross it again, but it was only life that mattered, Mount Sayano."
Sayo-no-Nakayama is a mountain pass located in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and is known as a difficult section of the old Tokaido road. In particular, because it lies between the post towns of Nissaka and Kanaya, it saw a lot of traffic. Today, it is also a popular hiking destination
