Parent and Child Anonymous - Parent and Child Anonymous

This scenic coastal area stretches about 15 kilometers from Ichiburi, Itoigawa City, on the border with Toyama Prefecture, at the westernmost tip of Niigata Prefecture, to Oumi Station. The northern end of the Northern Alps forms a 300-400 meter cliff and enters the Sea of ​​Japan, making this the most difficult part of the Hokuriku Road. The old road ran along the narrow sandy beach at the edge of these cliffs, watching the waves, so parents had no time to look back at their children, and children had no time to look back at their parents. It is said that the origin of this poem is from 1185 (Bun'ei 1), when the wife of Dainagon Taira no Yorimori, whose child was swept away by a raging wave on this coast, wrote the following poem: "My child, my wisdom tooth, is on the wave pillow of this bay, disappearing like the foam on the shores of Koshiji." On the west side of Oyashirazu Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway (formerly the JR Hokuriku Main Line) are Oyashirazu and on the east side are Koshirazu. On the Oyashirazu Coast, the remains of Jodo Cliff and Oana and other hidden caves remain. National Route 8, which opened in 1883 (Meiji 16), was carved into the middle of the cliff and is now being repaired with snow sets, but traffic is quickly cut off during heavy rains. There is an observation deck and Oyashirazu Memorial Square at Kazanami along the national route, and it has been designated as a prefectural natural park. It takes 45 minutes by bus from Itoigawa Station to Oyashirazu Tenken.

[Hisao Yamazaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

新潟県の最西端、富山県境の糸魚川市(いといがわし)市振(いちぶり)から青海(おうみ)駅まで約15キロメートルの海岸景勝地。北アルプスの北端が300～400メートルの断崖(だんがい)をなして日本海に突入する北陸道の最大難所である。旧街道はこの断崖絶壁の波打ち際の、狭い砂浜を波間をみて走り抜けたので、親は子を、子は親を顧みるゆとりがなかったという。1185年（文治1）大納言(だいなごん)平頼盛(よりもり)の妻が、この海岸で子供を激浪にさらわれ、「親知らず　子はこの浦の波まくら　越路(こしじ)の磯(いそ)のあわと消えゆく」と詠んだのがその起源といわれている。えちごトキめき鉄道（旧、JR北陸本線）の親不知駅を挟んで西側の市振側が親不知、東側が子不知の険で、親不知海岸には浄土崖(じょうどくずれ)、大穴など隠れ穴洞窟(どうくつ)遺跡も残る。1883年（明治16）に開通した国道8号は断崖の中腹を切り開いてつくられ、いまはスノーセットなどで改修されているが、大雨になるとすぐ交通が途絶する。国道筋の風波(かざなみ)に展望台や親不知記念広場があり、県立自然公園に指定されている。糸魚川駅から親不知天険までバス45分。

［山崎久雄］

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