The is a preserved tunnel

Tunnel

A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

 located near Katsunuma-budōkyō Station

Katsunuma-budokyo Station

is a railway station of Chūō Main Line, East Japan Railway Company , in Katsunuma-Hishiyama, in the city of Kōshū, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.This station is located near the Ōhikage Tunnel, built in 1903.-Layout:- History :...

 on the Chūō Main Line

Chuo Main Line

The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...

 in Kōshū

Koshu, Yamanashi

is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on November 1, 2005, when the city of Enzan was merged with the town of Katsunuma, and the village of Yamato, both from Higashiyamanashi District, to form the new city of Kōshū....

, Yamanashi Prefecture

Yamanashi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Description

The Ōhikage Tunnel was first constructed from 1896 to 1903 as part of the overall construction of the Chūō Main Line. It is located somewhere between Kai-Yamato and Katsunuma-budōkyō Station, with the northern exit located very near the latter.

The gradual increase in railway traffic on the Chūō Line starting from 1931 lead to the construction of a double track

Double track

A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...

, which was completed in 1968.

In 1997, the tunnel was closed in anticipation of the opening of the Shin-Ōhikage Tunnel, its modern counterpart. By the 1990s, the Ōhikage Tunnel was considered outdated and the Shin-Ōhikage Tunnel was constructed as its replacement.

After 1997, sections of the tunnel were used to store wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 from the vineyard

Vineyard

A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...

s around Kōshū. From 2005 to 2007, renovations were undertaken on various sections in and outside the tunnel to turn it into a tourist destination. In March 2007, the tunnel opened for tours. At the same time, the industrial importance of the tunnel was recognized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Details

• Overall length - 1.367km
• Width - 3.57m - 3.74m
• Height - 4.90m
• Operating Hours - 09:00 to 15:00 hrs