With an elevation of 256 m, starting from the north trailhead, this pass is a continuation of steep, meandering slopes surrounded by cedar and cypress trees. Close to the pass are the remains of a teahouse and the Horeki Jizo statue, which was enshrined here in 1756. This feels like the first authentic mountain pass of the Kodo after departing from Ise Jingu.

Historically, pilgrims would head to the riverbank at Yabashira-jinja to cross the Miya-gawa River by boat. Takihara-jinja, an auxiliary shrine of Ise Jingu Naiku, is located on the opposite bank to the Misesaka-toge pass.

The boat disappeared around 1955, but the service was restored in 2009 by the local Mise-no-Watashi Ferry Conservation Group. A reservation is required to use the service.

Odai Town Tourism Association
Reservation: A reservation by telephone is required at least five days in advance.
Tel: 0598-84-1050
Price: 500 yen per person, minimum five people
*if there are less than five people, the price is 2,500 yen.
e-mail: info@web-odai.info

This is the first pass on the Iseji after you start walking from Ise Jingu and is 120 m high. When you start to climb from the north trailhead, the paved road turns into a dirt trail and what seem like ruts from old wagons that have passed through are scarred into the bed rock.

In addition, the narrow passage excavated from the phyllite remains, with the area around it overgrown with bamboo. At the south trailhead, there is a line of low, forest-covered mountains and you pass through idyllic villages along the Miyagawa River. This was the main road until a tunnel was built in 1934.

Two kilometers west of Geku, the trail intersects with the sacred Miyagawa River, an historical site for purification before worshipping at Ise Jingu.

There was a ferry service here until the Miyagawa Railway Bridge and the wooden Watarai-bashi Bridge were built in 1897 and 1911 respectively.

Many teahouses lined the banks and because of the numerous willow trees, the crossing was known as Yanagi-noWatashi.

Further downstream was another crossing known as Sakura-noWatashi after its many cherry trees. There are currently about 700 cherry trees and it is one of Japan’s 100 famous cherry viewing sites.

The Miya-gawa is a large river flowing into Ise Bay, 91 km long with a watershed of 920 km².

Its source is the upper reaches of the Odaigahara mountain range, which straddles Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture and receives an enormous amount of rain, more than 4,800 mm a year.

Because of the high rainfall it is prone to flooding and many flood banks have been built since the Edo Period, including the Miyagawa Tsutsumi bank.

The stones used in the Oshiraishimochi white pebble carrying event during the Shikinen Sengu rebuilding ceremony are taken from the Miya-gawa river.