About the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel
The Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel (旧北陸線曽路地谷トンネル, Kyū Hokurikusen Sorojidani Tonneru) is a former railway tunnel in Aso, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, completed around 1895 and entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 February 2016. It is 401 m long and 4.0 m wide, curving gently through the mountainside.
The Funagaya Tunnel lies about 200 m to the south, and the Wanayamadani Culvert is about 1.3 km to the north. Tsuruga City lists the location as spanning the Aso and Suizu districts. At 401 m, the Sorojidani Tunnel is the fourth longest of the eleven surviving tunnels. It is owned by Tsuruga City.
Why the Sorojidani Tunnel Was Registered
The Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel was registered with the other twelve structures of the old line, as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. It carries the alignment across the hillside on the climb that runs through Habara and Funagaya.
What makes this tunnel interesting is who built it. Tsuruga City's commentary for the Japan Heritage listing says the contract went to a consortium of local Hokuriku firms. Judging from the handling of the portal stones, the arrangements for water and a certain unfamiliarity in the brickwork, the city believes the Funagaya and Sorojidani tunnels were built by contractors with no previous railway or tunnel experience, who used the job to build up their skills and capital.
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sheet dates the start of work to 1893 and names Hokuriku Doboku together with Tobishima-gumi, Kumagai-gumi and Maeda-gumi as related firms. It also notes a record that the contract with Hokuriku Doboku was cancelled in September 1894. The Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel is valuable less as a model of craft than as a record of builders learning on the job.
What to Look for at the Sorojidani Tunnel
The side walls and portals are stone and the arch is brick. The arch bricks are laid in stretcher bond, all lengthwise, so the change from the stone walls below is easy to see. The inexperience the city mentions is hard for a non-specialist to spot, but it is worth comparing the stonework here with the tidier portals nearby, looking at how evenly the blocks are sized and how straight the joints run.
Inside, you will notice refuge niches set into the walls about every 40 m. They gave track workers somewhere to stand clear of passing trains, and their regular spacing along the 401 m bore shows that work inside the tunnel was planned for from the start.
Look at the north end as well. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a brick water channel was built there as one piece with the portal and wing walls, catching water running off the hill beside the entrance. Read alongside the city's remark about water handling, it gives a concrete glimpse of the problems the builders of the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel had to solve.
Visiting the Sorojidani Tunnel
The Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani 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. The bore is a single lane 4.0 m wide and its curve hides the far end, so walkers should listen and look for approaching vehicles and keep moving rather than stepping into the refuges.
The brick channel at the north portal is easiest to see if you walk out of the tunnel and turn round. The Funagaya Tunnel is only about 200 m to the south, so on foot you can compare both portals in one short walk. When taking photographs, remember that you are on a road and choose a spot that keeps clear of traffic.
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Q&A
- How do you read the name of the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel, and where is it?
- It is read Sorojidani. The tunnel is in Aso, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, with the Funagaya Tunnel about 200 m to the south and the Wanayamadani Culvert about 1.3 km to the north.
- When was the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel built, and when was it registered?
- Work began in 1893 according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the tunnel was completed around 1895. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 February 2016.
- Who built the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel?
- According to Tsuruga City, a consortium of local Hokuriku firms. The builders are thought to have had no earlier railway or tunnel experience and to have built up their skills through this job.
- What should you look for inside the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel?
- Stone side walls under a brick arch in stretcher bond, and refuge niches about every 40 m. At the north portal there is a brick water channel built as one piece with the portal and wing walls.
- Can you still go through the Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani 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 single, gently curving lane, so walkers should take care with traffic.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel |
|---|---|
| Location | Aso, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2016 (Heisei 28), registered |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Length 401 m, width 4.0 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 Sorojidani Tunnel
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010954
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Hokuriku Line Sorojidani Tunnel
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/254545
- Japan Heritage Portal: component property Sorojidani Tunnel
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/4965/
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Meiji-era infrastructure sheet: Sorojidani Tunnel
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/region/infratourism/assets/pdf/meiji/kinki078.pdf
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hokuriku Line Wanayamadani Culvert
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010955
- Tsuruga City: List of national and prefectural cultural properties
- https://www.city.tsuruga.lg.jp/page/4435.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07
