At around the 135-meter elevation mark on the Matsumoto-toge Pass, you will find the ruins of an old tea house and an old temple school. It must have been a very busy place at the time.

The Teahouse Remains are large and spread out. Teahouses at the time would sell various goods essential for travel such as water and tea, rice balls and mochi cakes, and even straw sandals. You could say they served a similar role as convenience stores in the modern day. The sight of a Teahouse would have been a welcome relief for weary travelers who could take a rest while filling their stomachs.

There is also a 170-centimeter tall Jizō statue on the path that was made about 400 years ago at the beginning of the Edo Period that continues to watch over travelers.

By the way, do you see the hole in the Jizō statue? This is said to be a bullet hole, and there is quite a story behind it.

Once upon a time, a famed rifleman named Oma Shinzaemon was crossing the Matsumoto-toge Pass to get home from the neighboring town. It was already nighttime, and the path was engulfed in darkness. Shinzaemon passed this spot and happened across a dark shadow that hadn’t been there before. “It's a monster!” he shouted, before aiming his gun at the shadow and pulling the trigger. However, the shadow didn’t move at all. He crept closer and soon realized that it was actually a Jizō statue that had been installed by the villagers while he was away.

Take a moment to imagine what Shinzaemon did when he realized what had happened.