Ashigara Pass, Mountain pass in Kanagawa and Shizuoka Prefectures, Japan.
Ashigara Pass is a mountain passage that rises to 759 meters elevation between Oyama and Minamiashigara. The route connects the eastern and western regions of central Japan and can be accessed via Kanagawa Prefectural Route 78 or by bus from Shin-Matsuda Station.
The pass was established with a checkpoint in 899 and formed part of the ancient Tōkaidō road, marking the boundary between Sagami and Suruga provinces. This route served for centuries as a key connection between distant regions.
The pass holds references in the eighth-century anthology Man'yōshū, representing an early documentation of this geographical feature in Japanese literature.
The location is reachable by car via Prefectural Route 78 or by bus from Shin-Matsuda Station using the Hakone Tozan Bus line. Both options provide straightforward access to the summit.
From the summit, visitors can look across three different landscapes: Mount Fuji, the Hakone volcano, and Sagami Bay. On clear days, these views stretch across the borders between prefectures.
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