Nakasendō Ochiai Stone Pavement, Historic stone pavement on Nakasendō route, Nakatsugawa, Japan
The Nakasendō Ochiai Stone Pavement is a roughly 840-meter section of ancient road climbing a steep mountain pass. Both sides are lined with tall cedar trees and thick forest that create a shaded corridor.
The path was built during the Edo period by the Owari Clan to improve safety and transport control between Kyoto and Edo. The stone paving helped prevent erosion and kept the slope stable for the heavy traffic.
The stone surface shows how Japanese builders solved the problem of moving goods safely across steep mountain paths. You can see the wear patterns from countless travelers passing through over the centuries.
This is a walking trail best explored on foot, and sturdy shoes are important because of the steep incline and uneven stone surface. The shaded forest path offers natural cooling, but layers are helpful for changing mountain temperatures.
A stone monument along the path holds a poem by the poet Masaoka Shiki, written during his 1891 journey through this mountain passage. The poem shows how this place inspired travelers who passed through it.
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