Shiokumi-toge Pass (a pass on the border of Maizuru City and Takahama Town) (塩汲峠)
Shiokumi-toge Pass is a pass separates Maizuru City (Kyoto Prefecture) and Takahama Town (Oi County, Fukui Prefecture).
Summary
It is the pass located on Fukui Prefectural Road and Kyoto Prefectural Road 772 Takahama-Maizuru Line at an altitude of 154 meters. It is the westernmost of Fukui Prefecture and for a long time it had served as a natural fortress in Wakasa area as well as Kissaka-toge Pass. Its name 'Shiokumi' (scooping salt) originates from manufacture of fine salt around the foot of the pass; since ancient times the people had scooped ('kumi' in Japanese) seawater, made fine salt ('shio' in Japanese) by drying the seawater, and carried it to central Kyoto through the pass. It is still famous as a border between two prefectures, besides, for the fantastic view of Uchiura-wan Bay (Fukui Prefecture) from Kyoto side of the pass, it is popular as an ideal cycling road too. Since Fukui Prefectural Road and Kyoto Prefectural Road 772 becomes Kyoto Prefectural Road and Fukui Prefectural Road 21 Maizuru-Noharako-Takahama Line right at the foot of Fukui Prefecture side of the pass, Fukui Prefectural Road and Kyoto Prefectural Road 772 is quite short in Fukui Prefecture (only the section on the pass).
Features of the pass
As its altitude is low and there are villages near the pass both on Fukui Prefecture side and on Kyoto Prefecture side, it doesn't look like a normal pass of country hill. The road is two lanes wide and paved with asphalt from the foot to the peak, so four-wheeled vehicles can run through it easily and safely. However, as there are many riders on bicycles enjoying the moderate winding road and the fine view from Fukui Prefecture side, car drivers have to be careful of them.
Connecting road
Kyoto Prefectural Road and Fukui Prefectural Road 21 Maizuru-Noharako-Takahama Line (duplicated)