Jukkoku Pass Observation Deck Live Cam

Historical Evolution

Jukkoku Pass (“Jukkoku-tōge”) ranks among the most storied mountain passes in Shizuoka Prefecture, its name translating literally to “Pass of Ten Provinces.” From as early as the Kamakura period, local Shimoda merchants and pilgrims traversed this ridge to connect the Izu Peninsula with the rich plains of Suruga. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate recognized its strategic value and maintained the ancient trail as a sub-route of the Tōkaidō, providing a shortcut for daimyo-processions traveling between Edo and Kyoto. The original path was a narrow dirt track reinforced with stone slabs at steep pitches, allowing porters carrying rice, silk, and tea to negotiate the gradients safely. Over centuries, the pass witnessed the progression from foot and horseback travel to early Meiji-era horse-drawn carriages, all the while boasting unsurpassed views of Suruga Bay and Mount Fuji to the south.