Sayo no Nakayama - Sayo no Nakayama

A mountain range in the eastern part of Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, one of the difficult places to cross on the old Tokaido. It is also written as Sayo. It is known for the legend of the Crying Stone. It is a section along the ridge about 3 kilometers between Nissaka in Kakegawa City and Kikugawa in Shimada City, between Nissaka-juku and Kanaya-juku, and on the ancient transportation route it is between Yokoo Station (Kakegawa City) and Hatsukura Station (Shimada City). Sayo is thought to be a corrupted version of Saya. It is written about in many poems, including the Kokin Wakashu, and became especially famous for the poem by Saigyo Hoshi, "When I grew old, I thought I should cross it again, but I was so strong that I became mortal." The current Tokaido passes through the valley on the north side. There is Kuenji Temple, which has the Kosodate Kannon, and a teahouse selling Kosodate candy.

[Kitagawa Mitsuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

静岡県掛川市(かけがわし)東部にある山地で、旧東海道の越える難所の一つ。佐夜とも書く。夜泣石(よなきいし)伝説で知られる。掛川市日坂(にっさか)と島田市菊川との間の約3キロメートルほどの尾根に沿う区間で、日坂宿と金谷宿との間にあり、古代の交通路では横尾駅（掛川市）と初倉駅（島田市）との間にあたる。小夜は狭谷(さや)の転訛(てんか)とも考えられる。『古今和歌集』など多くの歌に詠まれ、とくに西行(さいぎょう)法師の「年たけてまた越ゆべしと思ひきや命なりけり佐夜の中山」で有名になった。現在の東海道は北側の谷を通る。子育(こそだて)観音がある久延寺(きゅうえんじ)や、子育飴(あめ)を売る茶屋などがある。

［北川光雄］

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