Satta-toge Pass, Shizuoka, Japan
Satta Toge Pass is a mountain pass in Shizuoka Prefecture. Ever since ancient times the only way to pass through this region was via the coastline and due to this in the early Edo Period (1603~1868) this mountain pass route was pioneered as an alternative route through the mountains. The name Satta Toge Pass comes from the “Satta Toge Jizo” which is a Buddhist image that was pulled up off of Yu-no-hama beach using a net during the Kamakura period.
The mountain pass has a viewing platform that offers a fantastic view of the Suruga Bay and Mt. Fuji; the Nara Period poet Yamabe-no-Akahito is said to have created his poem “From The Bay At Tago” in this place. The Edo-era ukiyo-e painter Utagawa Hiroshige is also said to have used this view as the model for his painting “Yui: Satta Peak”
The path to the viewing platform on the mountain pass will take you through tangerine and loquat fields. There are even unmanned fruit stalls where you can purchase tangerines and other fruits as you are walking along.
Epic Japan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound