The name of this settlement appears in historical records from the early 17th century, when Matsune Bizen-no-kami Mitsuhiro—grandson of beighbor region lord Mogami Yoshiaki—ruled the strategically important castles of Shiraiwa and Matsune along the Rokujurigoe Kaido. A tragic legend is tied to Matsune Hachiman Shrine: in 1603, Yoshiaki wrongly suspected his eldest son Yoshiyasu of treason and had him assassinated. Yoshiyasu’s retainer secretly buried his severed head in the Matsune area and built a temple in his memory. When Yoshiyasu’s innocence was later revealed, Yoshiaki deeply repented and dedicated temples to appease his son’s spirit. 

Nearby, a roadside Jizō statue was said to repeatedly lose its head, becoming known as the “Headless Jizō.”

The steep ascent from Matsune Hachiman Shrine toward Juo Toge was already notorious in the 17th century. A 1682 travel record describes the red clay path as extremely slippery, so difficult that travelers slid back more than they advanced. Along this arduous route stand historical markers, including a Koshin tower (1748), mountain deity stones, and a Yudonosan monument (1864). From this vantage point, visitors can enjoy sweeping views of the Shonai Plain to the north and Mt. Gassan and Mt. Yudono to the south. The area once hosted Jizo statues, a Juo Hall, and teahouses (chaya 茶屋 in Japanese) that served pilgrims heading to Churenji and Dainichibo; but all those Buddhist artifacts got removed when Mt. Yudono was converted to Shinto in the 19th century. 

The trail then descends toward Itaya Spring, named either after nearby maple trees or for its icy water said to make one’s teeth ache (itai 痛い = "painful" in Japanese).