YAWATA, Kyoto Prefecture--Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine here is a government-designated national treasure, but it is also home to a relatively unknown monument dedicated to Thomas Edison (1847-1931).

Returning to the road, our route next traverses the Kobukurozaka, a steep pass over the hills and into the central part of the city near Kamakura’s main shrine, the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū.