Kaaburi pass(顔振峠)is a mountain pass located in Okumusashi region of Saitama prefecture. It is located between city of Hanno and Ogose town. Altitude is 500 m. It is one of the rest places of two trails; Okumusashi Green Line and Kanto Freai Trail.
Kaaburi literally means shaking head or looking back in Japanese. It is told that Yoshitune Minamoto, a younger brother of Yoritomo Minamoto who establised the first shogunate in Japan, Kamakura shogunate in 1185. Yoshitsune first fought together with Yoritomo against their political rivals but their brotherhood broke up and Yoshitsune became an imperial enemy due to Yoritomo was assigned as shogun by the emperor.
When Yoshitsune was on run from Kyoto to his supporter in Mutsu province in the northern Honshu, he was looking back several times when passing the Kaaburi pass due to the beautiful scenery. Or his accompanying person and monk soldier, Benkei had to shake his head many times when passing the steep pass.
Kaaburi pass can be reached on foot from either Higashi-Agano or Agano stations on Seibu Chichibu line(Agano is a terminal of Seibu Ikebukuro line too).
Comments