Sanju-san (Thirty-three) Kannon of the Mountain Pass
The Sanju-san Kannon pilgrimage route is a spiritual trail that has connected the foot of the Shiga Kogen to Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture for over 200 years.
Along this historic path, thirty-three quietly standing Kannon statues watch over travelers, offering guidance and protection on their journey.
The first Kannon (No. 1) is located at the base of the mountains, while the final Kannon (No. 33) stands at Sun Valley, the entrance to Shiga Kogen area.
This page introduces a downhill route that takes you from the 33rd statue to the 1st.
- Please note that the trail crosses roads in several places and at times follows paths alongside vehicle traffic.
- Additionally, this area is home to wild bears. For your safety, we strongly recommend carrying a bear bell and traveling in a group.
- We have a special pilgrimage stamp book for the Thirty-three Kannon Pilgrimage available for 500 JPY. You can purchase it at Shiga Kogen Tourism Association or at the information centre located at the Snow Monkey bus stop.
▼ Tap to see the route map on SHIGA KOGEN NAVIGATOR ▼
From No. 29 to No. 28
To reach the No. 28 statue, you will need to cross the road. Please be extra cautious when crossing, as visibility is limited, especially for traffic coming uphill.
After crossing, you will see a small yellow sign ahead indicating a slope (as shown in above photo). Go down the slope to the left of that sign.
As you continue descending, the No. 28 statue will appear on your right, slightly elevated from the trail. Be careful with your footing and keep an eye out so you don’t miss it!
From No. 26 to No. 25
After visiting No. 27 and No. 26 statues located in the forest along the road, continue walking along the road for about 300 meters.
At the bottom, the road curves to the left. Just before it, you will see a sign marked with the number 17 (as shown in above photo). Turn left in front of this sign and take the path that descends the slope.
Do not go straight in the direction of the light blue arrow in above photo — that is NOT the official route.
From No. 22 to No. 20
Here is another tricky part. After visiting No. 23 and No. 22 statues, return to the main road. Walk downhill for about 100 meters. Please be careful, as cars may be passing.
Just before the road curves to the left (again), you will see an entrance into the forest on your right. Inside the forest, you will find the statues No. 21 and No. 20 statues, located to the right of the sign with the arrow shown in the above photo.
To reach No. 19 statues, DO NOT go to the left side of the statues. Instead, take the path that leads down the slope to the back left, near the road curve.
Going directly to the left of the statues will take you off the official route, so please DO NOT go that way.
From No. 14 to No. 13
On the way from No. 14 to No. 13 statues, you will come to a point where the path splits to the left and right. Please take the path to the right.
(If you go left, you will end up in a Bodaira Shirakaba Park, but there is no bus stop there, so you will not be able to continue your journey from that point except walking down on the road.)
Proceed about 150 meters to the right, and you will see a sign tied to a tree.
At the base of that sign, there is a gently sloping path going downhill — please follow that route.
From No. 11 to No. 10
On the way from No. 11 to No. 10 statues, there is one spot where the footing is unstable. A single board is placed across, so please be careful as you proceed.
From No. 5 to No. 4
From around No. 11 to No. 5 statues, you will descend a winding course through the forest. When you reach No. 5 statue, you will see the building of Chubu Electric’s hydroelectric power plant. From there, continue straight down the paved road, which will lead you to the main road.
Once you reach the main road, turn right and walk along the roadside.
After about 150 meters, you will find a small sign and an entrance on your left, so proceed in that direction.
Walk a bit through the forest, and you will emerge onto the main road again. This time, the entrance will be (almost) directly ahead of you, so head in that direction. There is also a sign 100 meters down the road to your left, but it is just a warning for vehicles, so DO NOT go there.
Continue walking through the forest, and you will reach No. 2 statue. Normally, No. 3 comes first, but in this case, No. 2 is first. (By the way, beyond No. 2, there are two statues of No. 3)
If you see a transmission tower on the left side in the distance, head toward it.
You will find a small sign circled in light blue in the area shown in the photo, so follow the path to the left. Walk down next to the tower.
After passing the first No. 3 statue, you will emerge onto the main road again. At this point, the entrance is directly across from you. After descending about 40 meters, you will come to a space with a building.
The other No. 3 statue is on the right side, so visit that one. Afterward, go back and head into the opposite direction in the forest.
You can find the entrance using the blue ribbon labeled “三十三” (as shown in the photo. That means “thirty-three”).
From there, it’s a straight path to No. 1 statue, so you shouldn’t get lost.
Continue straight along the path through the forest, and you will eventually reach the main road. If you turn right, you will find the Shiga Kogen Roman Museum and the Snow Monkey bus stop.
Congratulations on completing this pilgrimage trail. We appreciate your respect for the culture we have been preserving.
May your journey always be safe, and may peace accompany you wherever you go!
