Rokuro Pass

Rokuro Pass sits along the Nyonin Michi, the Women's Pilgrimage Route that circled the outer edge of Koyasan during the centuries when women were barred from entering the sacred plateau below. The pass takes its name from rokuro kubi, meaning 'to stretch the neck for a better view,' which describes exactly what travelers did when they reached it. From here, pilgrims could see the temples of Koyasan without descending to the plateau. The pass also served as one of seven traditional gates to Koyasan, connecting the Kumano region to the rest of Wakayama until modern transit routes arrived in the Meiji period.