Uesugi Kenshin, lord of Echigo, is said to have crossed this treacherous Oyashirazu route during his campaigns into Etchu province. With sheer cliffs plunging into the Sea of Japan and only a narrow strand passable, the path was so perilous it was said parents had no time to look after children, nor children their parents — a chokepoint on the Hokuriku road that tested even seasoned warlords.