Aonodōmon

A Buddhist monk named Zenkai spent 30 years chiseling this riverside tunnel through solid rock by hand during the Edo period, completing the work in 1763. The tunnel runs about 185 meters through the gorge wall along the Yamakuni River near Nakatsu, and at the time it replaced a dangerous cliffside path that regularly claimed lives. Walking through the dim, hand-cut passage, you can still see the chisel marks in the walls. A second shorter tunnel was added later by local volunteers. The surrounding riverside path is pleasant in its own right. The story of the monk, who took on the work as an act of repentance, is part of what makes the site compelling.