Nomugi Pass

A pass on the border between Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture and Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture. It is 1,672 meters above sea level, at the saddle between Mt. Norikura in the north and Mt. Kamagamine in the south. The Nomugi Highway passed through it, and it was the most widely used road crossing the southern end of the Northern Alps. It connected Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture) and Hida (Gifu Prefecture), and rice and sake were transported from Shinshu, and Hida yellowtail and bentwood fish from Hida. There was a lot of snowfall in the winter, and people froze to death, so a rescue hut was built.

From the Meiji to early Taisho periods, female thread-pullers from Hida crossed this pass to go to work at silk mills in Suwa, and Shigemi Yamamoto's novel "Ah Nomugi Pass," which describes the female workers' journey across the pass, and its film adaptation, have drawn many visitors to the pass. At the pass, there is a five-ringed tower, a helphouse, and Nomugi Pass Mansion, and one lodging where the female workers stayed remains, but it has been relocated and preserved at Matsumoto City Historical Village (an open-air museum). There are roads leading from both Nagano and Gifu prefectures, and from the pass you can see Mount Norikura right in front of you.

[Hiroyoshi Kobayashi]

"Shinshu Passes" by Takeo Ichikawa (1972, Daiichi Hoki Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野県松本市と岐阜県高山市の境界にある峠。北の乗鞍(のりくら)岳と南の鎌(かま)ヶ峰の鞍部(あんぶ)で、標高1672メートル。野麦街道が通じ、北アルプス南端部を横断する道としてはもっとも多く利用された。信州（長野県）と飛騨(ひだ)（岐阜県）を結び、信州からは米や酒、飛騨からは飛騨ブリや曲物(まげもの)が運ばれた。冬は積雪が多く、凍死する者も出たので、お助け小屋が建てられたという。

　明治から大正初めにかけて飛騨から糸引き女工がこの峠を越えて諏訪(すわ)の製糸工場に働きに行き、女工たちの峠越えを描いた山本茂実(しげみ)の小説『あゝ野麦峠』やその映画化で、峠を訪れる人も多い。峠には五輪塔やお助け小屋、野麦峠の館があり、女工たちが泊まった宿が一軒残っていたが、松本市歴史の里（屋外博物館）に移築保存された。長野・岐阜両県からの車道が通じ、峠からは乗鞍岳を眼前に望むことができる。

［小林寛義］

『市川健夫著『信州の峠』（1972・第一法規出版）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例