Mikuni Pass - Mikuni Pass

Japanese: 三国峠 - みくにとうげ

A pass on the border between Yuzawa Town in the southeast of Niigata Prefecture and Minakami Town in the north of Gunma Prefecture. It crosses the Mikuni Mountain Range and is the watershed between the Tone River and the Shinano River. It is 1,244m above sea level. It is the highest point on the Mikuni Highway and is where Mikuni Gongen is enshrined. It has been a key transportation point since ancient times, and Uesugi Kenshin crossed the pass several times to invade the Kanto region. The villages of Fukiji and Nagai developed below the pass on the Joshu side, and Asagai, Futago, and Mimata on the Echigo side. Its importance decreased with the opening of the Joetsu Line in 1931, but it was revived as a key transportation point again with the opening of the Mikuni Tunnel on National Route 17 in 1961. It is a difficult place to travel in winter due to heavy snowfall. The Naeba International Ski Resort is located in the northern area. The surrounding area belongs to Joshinetsu Kogen National Park.

Mikuni Pass

A pass that crosses Mt. Mikuni in the Ishikari Mountains, which is located on the border between Kamikawa Town, Kamishihoro Town, and Kitami City in central Hokkaido. It is 1,136 meters above sea level. National Route 273, which connects Sounkyo Onsen and Nukabira Onsen, passes through it. From the pass, you can see the sea of trees on the Tokachi side.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

新潟県南東部の湯沢町と群馬県北部のみなかみ町との境にある峠。三国山脈越えの峠で，利根川水系と信濃川水系の分水嶺にあたる。標高 1244m。三国街道上の最高点で三国権現がまつられている。古来交通の要地で，上杉謙信もいくたびかこの峠を越えて関東へ攻め込んでいる。上州側に吹路と永井，越後側に浅貝，二居，三俣の峠下集落が発達した。 1931年の上越線開通とともに重要性は減少したが，1961年国道 17号線の三国トンネルが開通したことによって，再び自動車交通の要地として復活。冬季は積雪が多く，交通の難所。北側一帯に苗場国際スキー場がある。付近は上信越高原国立公園に属する。