Legendary Jofuku Town and an Elegant Bamboo Forest
About 5 Km, 3 hrs. from JR Atashika to JR Odomari Station
Legend has it that Hadasu is the town where Jofuku drifted ashore on the journey to search for the Great Elixir of Life by the order of Emperor Shih Huang who united China in 221 B.C. A path made of giant stones said to be constructed during the Kamakura Period remains for a short part of the trail. There are several historical sites, one of which involves the well-known legend of Kobo-daishi (also known as Kukai, 774-835), one of Japan’s most revered monks and founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. This trail which combines history with hiking is designated by Mie Prefecture as a “Walking trail for mothers and children, rich in nature and history”. Though almost all of the trails of Kumano Kodo run through cypress and cedar forests, the trail of Obuki-toge Pass stretches through an enchanting bamboo forest.