草木隧道, Tunnel in Japan
Kurumoki Tunnel (草木隧道) is a road tunnel in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, cutting through hilly terrain along Route 152. The walls are made of rough stone, the ceiling curves gently overhead, and the road follows a soft S-shaped path through the mountain.
The tunnel was originally planned in the early 1990s as part of a high-speed road meant to open up the mountainous interior of Shizuoka. After engineers found that the surrounding ground was unstable, it was reclassified as a regular road in 2008.
The name 草木 translates roughly to "grass and trees" in Japanese, a reference to the dense woodland that surrounds the tunnel entrances. Drivers passing through often notice the sharp contrast between the green forest outside and the cool, dim interior.
Visiting during daylight hours is a good idea, as the interior is dimly lit and water can drip from the ceiling after rain, making the ground slippery. Sturdy footwear helps since the ground inside can be uneven in places.
Green distance markers typical of high-speed roads are still visible along the tunnel walls, a leftover from its original design as a fast route. Near the entrance, an abandoned concrete bridge stands as a reminder of construction work that was never completed.
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