A Culvert, Not a Tunnel: The Overlooked Giant of the Former Hokuriku Line
Most visitors who drive the abandoned Hokuriku Line come for the long brick tunnels. The Wanayamadani Culvert (Wanayamadani ankyo) asks for a different kind of attention. It is not a passage for trains but for water, cut roughly 20 metres below the level of the old trackbed to carry a mountain stream safely beneath the embankment. At about 44 metres long it is the largest structure of its kind on the entire line.
The name is written with the characters for "trap" and "mountain valley," read Wanayamadani. It sits in the Yokohama district of Tsuruga, about 1.3 kilometres northeast of the site of the former Sorojidani Tunnel, along the section the railway threaded through the foothills below the Kinome Pass.
Why a Nineteenth-Century Railway Needed Such a Structure
When the line between Tsuruga and Fukui opened in 1896, the stretch toward Imajo climbed a punishing grade over broken terrain. Streams that crossed the route could not simply be bridged where the railway ran on high fill. Engineers instead drove culverts through the base of the embankment. Here the fall of the land was so sharp that the culvert had to be built on a steep gradient, its floor stepping down the hillside rather than running level.
The lining follows the pattern used throughout the line: the side walls and the portals are cut stone, while the arch of the barrel is brick. A stone longitudinal channel runs along the invert to concentrate and speed the flow. The result is a piece of hydraulic engineering that has kept working long after the last train passed.
What to Look For
Because the culvert lies below the road, it is easy to walk past without noticing. Approach from the old embankment and look down the slope: the cut-stone mouth and the brick ring above it read clearly against the greenery. The steep pitch of the barrel is the detail worth pausing over, since it shows the builders adapting a standard design to an awkward site. The stonework here is close cousin to that of the nearby First Kannonji Tunnel, so the two make a natural pair on a walking visit.
The culvert was listed together with eleven tunnels and the Yamanaka Rock Shed when this run of structures was recognised, so it belongs to a single continuous story of Meiji railway building rather than standing alone.
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Questions and Answers
- What is the difference between this and the tunnels along the same route?
- The tunnels carried the trains through the hills. This culvert carries a stream beneath the railway embankment. It is drainage infrastructure, built to keep water from undermining the line.
- Is it really the longest culvert on the line?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as the largest culvert on the former Hokuriku Line. Its structure field records a length of 44 metres, while the official commentary gives about 46 metres; sources differ slightly on the figure.
- Can I see it up close?
- The old alignment is now a public road open to cars and walkers, so the area is accessible. The culvert itself sits below the roadway on a slope, so take care with footing and do not climb into the barrel.
- How does it relate to the nearby Kannonji tunnels?
- It stands about 400 metres south of the First Kannonji Tunnel and shares the same cut-stone-and-brick construction, so the structures are usually seen together on a walk through the Yokohama section.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hokuriku Line Wanayamadani Culvert |
|---|---|
| Location | Yokohama, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registered 25 February 2016 |
| Registration No. | 18-0147 |
| Built | around 1896 (late Meiji era) |
| Structure | Stone and brick; length 44 m, width 3.1 m; stone longitudinal channel |
| Owner | Fukui Prefecture |
| Access | On the former Hokuriku Line alignment (a single-lane public road); confirm current road status before visiting |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Wanayamadani Culvert
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010955
- Tsuruga City Tourism Association — Former Hokuriku Line Tunnels
- https://tsuruga-kanko.jp/spot/history_culture/hokuriku-line-tunnel/
- Fukui Prefecture Official Travel Guide (Fuku-e.com)
- https://www.fuku-e.com/spot/detail_1640.html
Last verified: 2026.07.09