A Tunnel to an Early Standard
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel (わたらせ渓谷鐵道城下トンネル) is a single-track brick and stone tunnel built in 1912 at Kurohone-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 2, 2009 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records brick and stone, 82 metres long, with retaining walls, registration number 10-0294.
The Ashio Copper Railway
According to Watarase Keikoku Railway, the Ashio copper mine, bought by Furukawa Ichibei in 1877, grew to produce half of Japan's copper, more than horses and a horse tramway could carry, so a railway was built from Kiryu to Ashio. The Ashio Railway opened to Omama in 1911, reached Ashio in December 1912 and was completed to Ashio Honzan in 1914. Nationalised in 1918 as the Ashio Line, it has been run by Watarase Keikoku Railway since 1989.
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel lies about 1,800 metres south-west of the Edogawa Bridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its cross-section closely follows Japan's first government railway tunnel standard.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a straight 82-metre single-track bore with horseshoe portals four bricks thick, the south portal faced in coursed stone in a near-Flemish bond.
Watarase Keikoku Railway's pamphlet notes stone walls near the entrances and brick inside: the hand-dug bore is still lined with the bricks of the opening. On the Motojuku side opens the view of the Shiroori Bridge and the Kojise Gorge.
Visiting
The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel comes into view about a minute after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about three and a half minutes after Mizunuma Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway). Watarase Keikoku Railway notes that all of its registered structures can be seen from the train.
Do not enter the tracks; view it from the train, the station or nearby roads. It is located at Kurohone-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. Of the line's 38 registered structures, the 26 in Gunma and 11 in Tochigi are gathered on the group pages Watarase Keikoku Railway (Gunma Section) and Watarase Keikoku Railway (Tochigi Section).
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
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Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1912 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- Brick and stone, 82 metres long, with retaining walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How was it dug?
- By hand; its walls are still lined with the original bricks (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- Where can it be seen?
- The Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel comes into view about a minute after Motojuku Station on a Mato-bound train, or about three and a half minutes after Mizunuma Station on a Kiryu-bound train (Watarase Keikoku Railway).
- When was the Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel registered?
- On November 2, 2009.
Basic Information
| Name | Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel (わたらせ渓谷鐵道城下トンネル) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kurohone-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/02 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Brick and stone, length 82 metres, with retaining walls |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (line operated by Watarase Keikoku Railway Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Visible from the train |
References
- Watarase Keikoku Railway Shiroori Tunnel (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007867
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/sightseeing/culture.php
- Pamphlet: Railway Heritage from the Train Window, map notes (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/assets/pdf/sightseeing/culture_yukei_des02.pdf
- History (Watarase Keikoku Railway, in Japanese)
- https://www.watetsu.com/company/history.php
Last verified: 2026.10.12
