Tōge no Sanjūsan Kannon Course

This 5.6-kilometer trail climbs 640 meters from Kanbayashi bus stop to Sun Valley, passing 33 stone statues of Kannon, the Buddhist deity of mercy, spaced along the route. The path follows an old road that once connected Shiga to Kusatsu, and the statues served both as guideposts and as points of prayer for travelers seeking safe passage. The number 33 comes from the Lotus Sutra's description of Kannon's manifestations, and the statues here are modeled on those of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage Circuit in Kansai. The uphill route takes about three and a half hours; walking it in reverse is around two and a half.