The steep hill of Nanamagari, which continues for about 280 meters, is said to be the most difficult of all the sections of Yakiyama-goe. Though the name literally means “seven turns,” it doesn’t mean that there are exactly seven turns, but many. Try to count how many curves there are.

There have been many pilgrims who have lost their lives traversing the difficult terrain of Nanamagari. There is a gravestone of a pilgrim from Hiroshima Prefecture at the beginning of the Nanamagari trailhead, and another of one from Gunma Prefecture at the end of the climb. It is a tough trail, so please make you take it one step at a time, while remembering the pilgrims who have fallen.

Along the way, you’ll find a jizo statue with its tongue sticking out, meant to ease the exhaustion of those who pass by. You’ll find these playful jizo statues at areas where you can take a break after completing a steep climb. Your load will be lightened when you find one of them. After getting past the Nanamagari, it’ll mostly be flat roads, but there will still be some slopes. Making sure that it wasn’t all up hill is a nice consideration to ease the journey.