Matsumoto-toge Pass is known for its cobblestone path made some 300 years ago during the Edo Period as well as 150 years ago during the Meiji Period.

As you head up the path from the trailhead, you can see a river flowing on the left, and the cross-section of the path is clearly visible. With the other paths, both sides are buried, so you can only see their surfaces. However, the Matsumoto-toge Pass is a few meters deep and you can see the construction of the path very clearly.

This construction method is called “Nodzura ransouzumi,” a very sturdy method that can last for hundreds of years. All of the stones used in the path have been locally sourced from the mountains.

Kumano is known for its rainy weather, so the stonework must be several meters thick to last. Even if it rains, the water passes through the gaps in the stone and flows down to the valley, so the path won’t collapse.