Karisaka Pass - Karisaka Pass

A pass on the border between Yamanashi and Saitama prefectures, near the saddle between the main ridge of the Chichibu Mountains, the Karisaka Ridge (2,289 meters) and Suishozan (2,158 meters). It is 2,082 meters above sea level. It is a very important place for communication between Kai and Chichibu (Chichibu road), as it climbs from Kudozawa, north of Hirose Dam on the upper reaches of the Fuefuki River in Yamanashi prefecture, and connects Tochimoto on the Chichibu side. For this reason, it has been used since ancient times, and it is said that Yamato Takeru no Mikoto passed through here when he went on his eastern expedition, and the surviving retainers of the Takeda clan, who were ordered to work as checkpoint officials at Tochimoto when the Tokugawa clan entered the Kanto region, also passed through here. The Karisaka Tunnel (total length 6,625 meters) on National Route 140 runs below the pass, but until the tunnel was opened, the road only went to the foot of the mountain, and cars could not travel there. Even today, the pass is the domain of climbers. Counted as one of the three great mountain passes in Japan along with Harinoki Pass and Natsuzawa Pass, the pass is bright and cozy, in contrast to the forest belts of the Ganzaka Mountains and other areas, and offers a wonderful view of the Southern Alps from the south side. There are two climbing routes: Shinchidairaguchi in Kawaura, Mitomi, Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture, and Kawamataguchi in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture.

[Minoru Yoshimura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

山梨・埼玉両県の境界、秩父(ちちぶ)山地の主脈上の雁坂嶺（2289メートル）と、水晶山（2158メートル）の鞍部(あんぶ)付近の峠。標高2082メートル。山梨県の笛吹(ふえふき)川の上流広瀬ダムの北方、久渡(くど)沢から登り、秩父側の栃本(とちもと)とを結ぶ、甲斐(かい)と秩父との連絡上（秩父往還）きわめて重要な地であった。このため古代から利用され、日本武尊(やまとたけるのみこと)が東征に際し通過したとも伝えられ、徳川氏の関東入府の際、栃本の関所役人を命じられた武田氏の遺臣もここを越えている。峠下を国道140号の雁坂トンネル（全長6625メートル）が通じているが、トンネル開通までの車道は山麓までで、車による往来はできなかった。現在も、峠は登山者の領域である。針ノ木峠、夏沢峠とともに日本三峠の一つに数えられるこの峠は、雁坂嶺などの森林帯と対象的に明るい茅戸(かやと)であり南面からの南アルプスの眺望もすばらしい。登山には山梨県山梨市三富(みとみ)川浦の新地平(しんちだいら)口と、埼玉県秩父市の川又口がある。

［吉村　稔］

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