About the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel
The Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel (旧北陸線葉原トンネル, Kyū Hokurikusen Habara Tonneru) is a former railway tunnel in Habara, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, completed in 1896 and entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 February 2016. It is 979 m long and 3.9 m wide, curving gently through the mountain, and is the second longest of the eleven surviving tunnels after the Yamanaka Tunnel.
It lies about 6 km north of the Kashimagari Tunnel at the Tsuruga end, and marks the start of the run of tunnels over the pass; the Funagaya Tunnel is about 1.1 km farther north. Tsuruga City lists its location as spanning the Habara and Aso districts. It is owned by Tsuruga City.
Why the Habara Tunnel Was Registered
The Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel was registered with the other twelve structures of the old line, as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, like the Yamanaka Tunnel, it is known for having been finished only after very difficult work.
Tsuruga City's commentary for the Japan Heritage listing names the contractor as Arima-gumi, working under the name of Sawai-gumi, and says this was one of the hardest sites on the Tsuruga to Imajō section because of hard rock and a flood in 1895. A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sheet dates the start of work to October 1893, records heavy flood damage in July 1895, and describes the tunnel as one of the first in which American-made rock drills powered by compressed air were used. That makes it a marker of the shift from hand drilling to machinery.
Above the portals hung plaques written by Kuroda Kiyotaka, then Minister of Communications and a former prime minister: Kōkoku Kankyū (興國咸休) at the south portal and Eisei Mukyū (永世無窮) at the north. Both are now kept at the Nagahama Railway Square museum in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture.
What to Look for at the Habara Tunnel
Begin with the portals. According to the Agency, they are almost symmetrical cut-stone faces with pilasters, and their parapets reach far out to each side, giving the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel an imposing front. Even without the plaques, the portals still read as a formal gateway.
Behind the portals and along the wing walls run drainage channels finely built of cut stone and brick. They carry water coming off the slope away from the tunnel mouth, and on a wet day you may see it running along them just as intended.
Inside, the arch is brick in stretcher bond and the side walls are stone. At nearly a kilometre long, the middle of the bore is genuinely dark and cool, with both ends reduced to distant points of light, and that is the heart of the experience.
Visiting the Habara Tunnel
The Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel is part of the road along the old line and can be passed through by car or on foot. There is no fee and no reception point. It is a single lane 3.9 m wide and long, so drivers should use headlights, walkers should carry a torch and watch for approaching vehicles, and nobody should linger inside.
The portals and drainage channels can be studied safely from outside. If you plan to walk through, allow about 15 minutes each way. When taking photographs, remember that you are on a road and choose a spot that keeps clear of traffic.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukui
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel
- [ Eiheiji Temple & Tojinbo Cliffs Day Trip ]
Q&A
- Where is the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel?
- In Habara, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, about 6 km north of the Kashimagari Tunnel, at the southern start of the run of tunnels over the pass. The Funagaya Tunnel is about 1.1 km to the north.
- How long is the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel?
- It is 979 m long and 3.9 m wide, the second longest of the surviving tunnels after the 1,170 m Yamanaka Tunnel.
- Why was the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel hard to build?
- Tsuruga City cites hard rock and a flood in 1895. A ministry sheet adds that it was one of the first tunnels dug with American-made compressed-air rock drills.
- Where can you see the plaques from the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel?
- The plaques written by Kuroda Kiyotaka, Kokoku Kankyu for the south portal and Eisei Mukyu for the north, are kept at Nagahama Railway Square in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture.
- Can you go through the Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel, and is there a fee?
- Yes. It is part of the road along the old line and is open to cars and pedestrians, with no fee or reception. It is a long single-lane bore, so walkers should carry a torch and take care with traffic.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel |
|---|---|
| Location | Habara, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2016 (Heisei 28), registered |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Length 979 m, width 3.9 m |
| Owner | Tsuruga City |
| Public Access | Open to traffic as part of a road; no fee or reception |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010952
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Hokuriku Line Habara Tunnel
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/287843
- Japan Heritage Portal: component property Habara Tunnel
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/4963/
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Meiji-era infrastructure sheet: Habara Tunnel
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/region/infratourism/assets/pdf/meiji/kinki076.pdf
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hokuriku Line Funagaya Tunnel
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010953
- Tsuruga City: List of national and prefectural cultural properties
- https://www.city.tsuruga.lg.jp/page/4435.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07
