Hayatura Road

The Hayatura Road was a major route through the Ikuyu Mountains of Wa.

Description
Because it was the largest and most heavily used trade route for merchants through the mountains traveling between the two coasts of Tsukishima, the Hayatura Road was frequented by bandits hiding in the foothills. The road was thus heavily patrolled and most would not dare to travel on it unescorted.

Geography
The road began at the city of Iiso and traveled northwest through the mountains to Tifuido at the base of Mount Fo at the Sea of Blossoms.

History
In Wa Year 1775 (1357 DR), Matasuuri Unteki, the eccentric&mdash;if not mad&mdash;daimyo of Iiso, presented a production of the noh play titled The Narrow Road to the Sea of Blossoms, which was performed on the Hayatura Road over a period of three days. The daimyo himself played the lead role, and 500 citizens of Iiso were forced to journey along with the actors to be the audience.

Rumors & Legends
In the prehistorical time of Wa known as the era of Kuni, in the 23 year, during the reign of emperor Nagazane &mdash;estimated to be around &mdash;the legendary shugenja Samon was said to have traveled on this road on a religious retreat. About halfway along the way, a great blizzard fell upon the mountains, and Samon was forced to seek shelter. He found a simple peasant's hut and was welcomed within. There he became entranced by the beauty of the peasant's daughter. Rejecting his vows of chastity, he romanced the girl  and slept with her three nights in a row, which, by local customs, meant that she was now his wife. On the next morning, he awoke to find that his bride had transformed into coiled snake.. He was driven mad with fear. and regret at his sin and fled into the mountains, never to be seen alive again.

Evening travelers on the Hayatura Road sometimes still claimed to see his restless spirit haunting the mountain passes.