Nomugi Pass
The pass where the lives of the female factory workers, known from "Ah, Nomugi Pass," are etched
Nomugi Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1,672 meters, crossing the border between Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. The Nomugi Highway, once called the "Buri Highway" because it transported Hida yellowtail to the people of Matsumoto Plain and Ina, is also a pass that changed the lives of young women.
From the Meiji era to the early Taisho era, young women from Hida risked their lives crossing this pass in blizzards to reach silk mills in Okaya and Suwa. It is said many perished on this journey to seek work. An "Otasuke Chaya" (Rescue Teahouse) stood on the pass, where exhausted travelers could rest.Made famous by the nonfiction work "Ah, Nomugi Pass," it is an essential location when recounting the tragic history of female factory workers. Every May
, the "Nomugi Pass Festival" is held. Students from the local Nagawa Elementary and Junior High School dress as female factory workers of the era, walk the old Nomugi Kaido road, confront history, and pay tribute to their predecessors.
Information
- Address
- Nagawa Nomugi Highway Matsumoto City
- Contact
- Hometown Nagawa
- Access (Car)
- Approximately 80 minutes from Matsumoto IC
*Note: Business hours and closures are subject to change.
