Signpost - Dohyo

In the olden days they were called "michishirube" (path signs), and were set up on roads and in the mountains to indicate the distance and direction to a destination. In addition to manmade ones made of wood or stone, they also include cairns, hatchet marks, and conspicuous natural objects. In the olden days they were set up at the fords of roads, and often had roadside gods placed there along with road signs to pray for the safety of mountaineering trips. Signs at the second and third stations of Mt. Fuji and other mountains are also examples of this. Road signs are indispensable for people travelling along the road to plan their itinerary and select a route, and sometimes people even get lost without them. In recent years, due to a lack of manners, some climbers have vandalized road signs and changed their direction, but this is directly linked to danger and must be strictly prohibited.

[Tokuhisa Kyuuou]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古くは「みちしるべ」といわれ、道路や山中などに目的地までの距離や方向指示のために設けられたもの。人工的に木や石でつくられたもののほか、積み石（ケルン）や、鉈目(なため)、目につきやすい自然の事物なども含まれる。古く街道筋の追分などに設けられ、道標とともに登山旅行の安全を願って道祖神が置かれてあることも多い。富士山その他の山の二合目・三合目などの標識もそれである。道標は道を行く人にとっては行程の予定をたてたり、道の選定をするのになくてはならぬものであり、ときには、これがないために遭難することすらある。近年マナーの欠如で登山者のなかに道標にいたずらをして方向を変えたりする者があるが、これは危険と直結するから、厳に戒めなければならない。

［徳久球雄］

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