A Brick Flood Tunnel Dug by Local Hands
The Otanikawa Tunnel (大谷川隧道) is a brick water tunnel of 1911 in Chichika, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 28, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a brick tunnel 92 metres long; registration number 41-0106.
A Tunnel Cut for Land Improvement
The Otanikawa Tunnel is a brick tunnel 92 metres long, cut as part of a farmland improvement scheme to guard against floods (Agency for Cultural Affairs). At both the upstream and downstream ends the mouth is built as an arch a little over 2 metres high inside.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the portals in English bond, with pilasters and coping that form the shape of a torii gate, and says the tunnel records how it was planned and dug by the local people themselves; it was registered as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the brick portals, whose pilasters and coping take the shape of a torii (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Saga Prefecture (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official visiting information was found.
Q&A
- When was the tunnel built?
- In 1911 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was it for?
- To guard against floods, as part of a farmland improvement scheme.
- What should I look for?
- The brick portals shaped like torii gates.
- Who dug it?
- Local people, who planned and carried out the work (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Otanikawa Tunnel registered?
- On June 28, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Otanikawa Tunnel (大谷川隧道) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chichika, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/06/28 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Brick, 92 m long |
| Owner | Saga Prefecture |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Otanikawa Tunnel (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011837
Last verified: 2026.10.20