Tonkararin Tunnel Structure

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The slit area covered with stones
Underground stone masonry underdrain, the steps visible are too shallow to enter in a flexed position

The Tonkararin (トンカラリン, Tonkararin) or Tonkararin tunnel structure is a 464.6 meter long, tunnel-like structure of unknown origin, situated in Nagomi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It lies on a plateau called Seibaru Daichi, around which are many kofun or tumuli, such as Eda-Funayama Kofun. It consists of very shallow natural slits of the ground covered with stones and man-made stone-structured underdrains. The name of Tonkararin came from the sound of a stone, when the stone is thrown into the tunnel. Another view is that it came from the Korean language. Korean Tongurami, similar to Tonkararin was a cave connected with religious functions.[1]

General description[edit]

Tonkararin came to the attention of Kumamoto people when Sanpaku Koga noticed and reported them to the Kumamoto Prefecture on August 1974.[2] In October, specialists of the cultural assets of Kumamoto Prefecture started to investigate it and an aqueduct hypothesis and a religion-associated hypothesis were suggested. In May 1975, Seicho Matsumoto, a noted novelist interested in archeology and Japanese ancient history, observed Tonkararin and proposed that it might be connected with Yamataikoku, leading to the nationwide interest in Tonkararin.[3] In 1975, the aqueduct hypothesis was prevalent. In March 1978, the education committee of Kumamoto Prefecture suggested the aqueduct theory in its report. However, in June 1993, a re-investigation of Tonkararin of the team publicly denied the aqueduct theory. There have been no mythological legends in the neighboring area concerning Tonkararin.

Structure[edit]

    • The parts of Tonkararin are explained. A slit is a slit of tuff from volcanic ash, considered to be a slit from rain.[4]
  • A-B: A lane which is thought to have been a slit (not included in the whole length)
  • B-C: 19.3 m. Underground stone masonry underdrain: tunnel made of stones
  • C-D: 37.7 m. The first slit with stone ceiling
  • D-E: 57.4 m. Lane
  • E-F: 31.0 m. The second slit with stone ceiling
  • F-G: 54.6 m. Lane
  • G-H: 37.1 m. Underground stone masonry underdrain (tunnel) with 7 stone steps
  • H-I: 15.7 m. Underground stone masonry underdrain
  • I-J: 58.7 m. Lane
  • J-K: 64.8 m. Underground stone masonry underdrain
  • K-L: 36.1 m. Underground stone masonry underdrain
  • L-M: 32.5 m. Underground stone masonry underdrain
    • Total length: 445.1 m.
    • Difference in height: 36.37 m.

Tonkararin Symposium on October 29, 2001 at Nagomi Town[edit]

At the symposium, previous views were reviewed. Tatsuo Inoue, Professor Emeritus of Tsukuba University suggested that Tonkararin might be connected with some religious function since rebirth from false death needs entering a cave or purification. Sanpaku Koga, Seiya Tida, Tomoshige Inoue, Tokunao Idemiya and Sachihiro Oota favored the view that Tonkararin was connected with some religious acts.[5]

References[edit]

  • Sanpaku Koga, Yume, Yomigaeru (Dream Reborn) 1994, Sanko-Kai
  • Sanpaku Koga, Shoku Yume Yomigaeru (Part 2 Dream Reborn) 2003, Sanko-kai

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Koga, 2003:108-112.
  2. ^ Koga, 1994:170-171.
  3. ^ Koga, 1994:130-136.
  4. ^ Koga, 2003:48].
  5. ^ Koga, 2003:2-87.

External links[edit]


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