The Torii Pass was one of the toughest places to travel in the Nakasendo during the Edo period. Who could imagine that in the 21st century, countless people worldwide would enjoy hiking on the Torii Pass?
The JR Yabuhara station is very quiet with not many passengers. The station is not frequented by staff for the most part, and we can make use of a large free parking lot.
The trail has several cobble sections.
View of Yabuhara town looking down from the pass.
The trail between two post towns, Yabuhara and Narai, is well-maintained and easy to walk. Nevertheless, we feel a sense of accomplishment when we reach the Ontake shrine at the highest point of the pass.
Most visitors bypass the highest point of Torii pass unconsciously, going through the shortcut section. If you carefully follow the signboard at the intersection, you can reach the point shown in this photo.
The sign of the Torii pass before 2020. Many were complaining about the poor look of this sign.
This is how it looks after 2022. Wow, looks much better!
The cobble section on Narai side.
Nice restaurant is on the other side of railway.
JR Narai station.
