Sannenzaka

Sannenzaka is a stone-paved pedestrian slope lined with low-slung wooden machiya houses. It connects the upper reaches of the hillside to the streets below, acting as a functional bridge for pilgrims heading to Kiyomizu-dera. Local legend says that if you trip and fall on these steep stairs, you will die within three years. This dire superstition gives the slope its name, which translates roughly to Three Year Slope. Many travelers now carry small gourd-shaped charms to ward off that unlucky fate.