The village of Kaminegori is located on a mountain slope 300 meters above sea level at the southernmost point of the Onyu Valley. It lies along the Harihatagoe Pass (also called the Negorizaka Slope), which crosses the historical border between Wakasa Province and northern Omi Province (modern-day Shiga Prefecture). The Harihatagoe Pass is one of the oldest of several roads that make up the Saba Kaido (“Mackerel Road”), a network of trade routes that were historically used to transport seafood and other goods between the bustling port city of Obama and Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. In the Edo period (1603–1867), it is believed that Kaminegori villagers primarily worked as porters or provided lodging and food for porters traveling along the Harihatagoe Pass.
Even today, Kaminegori exemplifies the cultural landscape of mountain villages that once supported important trade routes. Though Kaminegori is no longer inhabited, residences with traditional thatched roofs, terraced fields, a venerable shrine, and other structures integrated into the surrounding landscape are carefully preserved. In addition to these conservation efforts, a guest house, signboards, and benches have been set up by volunteers and former residents who are involved in preserving and promoting the area and its history.
