The kiyotaki tunnel Japanese urban legend
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Kiyotaki Tunnel Japanese Urban Legend Ghost Stories Haunted Places Supernatural Folklore Mysterious Tunnels

Eps 9: The kiyotaki tunnel Japanese urban legend

— Scary

The Kiyotaki Tunnel in Japan is steeped in a grim urban legend. Built in 1927, the tunnel is said to be haunted by the spirits of laborers who died during its construction. According to the legend, these spirits manifest in various forms, including eerie apparitions, sudden temperature drops, and ghostly voices. The tunnel is also believed to have a fluctuating length, measured differently each time, adding to its mystique. Locals advise against entering the tunnel at night or alone, citing numerous accounts of macabre experiences and even accidents attributed to supernatural influences.

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Stacey Wade

Stacey Wade

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The Kiyotaki Tunnel, a narrow, eerie passageway nestled in the mountains of Kyoto, has earned its place in Japanese urban legend lore, shrouded in mystery and supernatural fear. Constructed during the late 1920s, the tunnel stretches 444 meters long—a number often associated with death in Japanese culture. Originally a railway tunnel, it has since become a road passage, but the eerie aura has remained unchanged. The construction itself is rumored to have been fraught with despair, as workers toiled under harsh conditions, often succumbing to accidents and overwork. Legend has it that their spirits linger, eternally trapped within the cold, damp walls.

Motorists and pedestrians who travel through the tunnel frequently report chilling experiences. Some speak of hearing disembodied voices whispering their names, while others mention feeling inexplicable cold spots or seeing spectral figures in the darkness. One particularly spine-tingling tale suggests that if you drive through the tunnel at night and glance into your rearview mirror, you may see the ghost of an exhausted worker sitting in the back seat. Mirrors, especially, play a significant role in the lore surrounding the Kiyotaki Tunnel. Another unnerving aspect is the traffic light that governs the single-lane tunnel. Supposedly, those who see red eyes in their car mirrors while waiting for the light should turn back immediately to avoid an accident.

There's also a belief that the tunnel's length can change: If you measure it during the day, it may be shorter or longer than if you measure it at night. This supernatural phenomenon is said to signify the tunnel's grip over the realm of spirits and the living. According to the legend, daring travelers are advised to avoid traversing this tunnel during the witching hour to steer clear of inviting any lingering spirits into their own lives. Skeptics argue that these experiences are merely the products of suggestion and the mind's natural inclination to find patterns in the dark, but for believers, the Kiyotaki Tunnel remains a haunted relic of Japan's past, where the line between the living and the dead is tantalizingly thin.