Udo Shrine: Udosan Hatchozaka
The Udosan Hatchozaka (“eight-cho slope to Udo Shrine”; cho is an old Japanese unit of length equivalent to 109 meters) is the oldest approach to Udo Shrine. The 815-step stone staircase leads to and from the port of Fukei and has been used at least since the Edo period (1603–1867). The stones in the middle of the steps are visibly lower than those around them, worn down by the countless feet that have trodden them over the centuries. According to local lore, the staircase was built by Buddhist nuns who carried the stones up from the shore by balancing them on their heads.