Today, I will introduce Inunaki Tunnel, one of the most haunted tunnels in Japan.

Do not approach that tunnel for fun without respect. You may be struck by an unexpected experience of horror…

Inunaki Tunnel (犬鳴トンネル), more precisely Old Inunaki Tunnel (旧犬鳴トンネル), is a tunnel that is located between Miyawaka City (宮若市) and Hisayama Town (久山町), both in Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan. This tunnel has been disused since 1975 after the completion of New Inunaki Tunnel (新犬鳴トンネル), which is currently used on a daily basis. (In this article, unless otherwise stated, please assume that Inunaki Tunnel refers to the old one.)

Since the old tunnel was disused, it has been famous locally in Fukuoka as a haunted place. It has been nationally known as one of the most haunted places now, since a number of incidents have occurred in the area, including a horrific murder near the tunnel in 1988.

Inunaki Tunnel: Haunted tunnel that brings a chain of misfortune

Old Inunaki Tunnel was opened in 1949, not long after the Second World War. The tunnel was located on the shortest route between Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City, the two largest cities in Fukuoka Prefecture, and therefore attracted a lot of traffic.

The old tunnel was no longer used due to the opening of the new tunnel in 1975. It is said that for some time afterwards it was possible to reach the old tunnel. However, the road to the old tunnel was closed by a fence because of some illegal dumping of oversized rubbish in the area and the fact that it had become a hangout spot for local Bousou-Zoku (暴走族/biker gangs).

In December 1988, an incident occurred on the disused road leading to the old Inunaki Tunnel.

A 20-year-old young man (let’s call him A-kun) was driving home after work that day. A delinquent boy (let’s call him B), who was an acquaintance of A-kun, demanded that he lend him and his friends A-kun’s car, almost as a threat.

B was angry after A-kun’s refusal, then punched, kicked, and otherwise violently assaulted A-kun.

Seeing A-kun’s face deformed and covered in blood, B came to the unlikely conclusion that he should kill A-kun because he might talk to the police about all.

There was an idea to drown him in Rikimaru Dam (力丸ダム) in the mountains, but they decided against it, as the body might float in the water and be discovered. In the end, it was decided to burn the body in petrol until it was no longer recognisable.

The site chosen was the old road leading to the old Inunaki Tunnel. This area was usually closed and therefore not usually visited by people. A-kun was eventually burnt alive to death.

As the brutality of the group and the method of killing was by burning, the incident was widely reported nationwide and attracted attention from all over Japan.

The 1988 tragedy brought even more people to Inunaki Tunnel, which was locally famous for being a haunted place to begin with.

Plus, two cases of visitors being killed or seriously injured in car accidents occurred in 1992 and in 2001. Furthermore, with the spread of the internet, many scary stories have been posted by people who have actually visited the area.

The combination of physical and supernatural fears has led to Inunaki Tunnel being called “THE scariest haunted place in Japan”.

In 1999, a post was made on 2chan, the Japanese message board website.
It stated that there was a village called Inunaki Village near the old Inunaki Tunnel, which did not exist on any maps. It also said that the Constitution of Japan does not apply in that village and that if you visit the village, you will be chased by mad villagers with axes.

After this post, and encouraged by the heat of the early age of the Japanese internet culture, numerous sightings and stories were posted online. Although Inunaki Village has not been spotted to this day and is considered a type of rumour or urban legend, it is still popular today, with a film of the same name based on the legend being released in 2019.

↓Check out this related article to deep dive into Inunaki Village

Inunaki Tunnel is said to be one of the scariest haunted places in Japan.

And considering stories of supernatural experiences that were originally told locally, the tragic incident that actually happened there, as well as the urban legend surrounding the tunnel. This is perhaps not surprising, given that the tunnel is full of elements that scare people.

↓Check out these related articles as well to find out more about Japanese urban legends/creepypastas!