Crossing the Kitayama Mountains

... The official road from the capital to Tosa seems to have passed through Iyo Province in the past, but in 718 (Yoro 2), a road was opened directly from Awa to Tosa, and in 796 (Enryaku 15), another new road was opened. This road crossed the Shikoku Mountains and went south, passing through what is now Motoyama Town in Nagaoka County, and was later called "Kitayamagoe". Since Tosa Province was made a land of exile by the regulation of 724 (Jinki 1), it has been the place of exile for many notable people, including Isonokami Otomaro, Otomo no Kojihi, Prince Ikeda (Emperor Junnin's younger brother), Yuge Kiyoto, Hirokata, and Hirota (Dōkyō's family) in the Nara period, and Ki Natsui (Otenmon Incident), Fujiwara no Moronaga (Hōgen Rebellion), and Minamoto no Mareyoshi (Heiji Rebellion) in the Heian period. ...

*Some of the terminology used to refer to "Crossing Kitayama" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　都より土佐に至る官道は，古くは伊予国を経由していたらしいが，718年(養老2)に阿波から直接土佐に入る道が開かれ，さらに796年(延暦15)にも別の新道が開かれている。これは四国山脈を横断して南下するもので，現在の長岡郡本山町を経由し，のちに〈北山越え〉と呼ばれる官道であった。土佐国は724年(神亀1)の制によって遠流の国とされて以来，奈良時代では石上乙麻呂，大伴古慈斐，池田親王(淳仁天皇の弟)，弓削浄人･広方･広田(道鏡の一族)，平安時代に入ると紀夏井(応天門の変)，藤原師長(保元の乱)，源希義（まれよし）(平治の乱)等々，多くの著名人の配流先となった。…

※「北山越え」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報