Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel
清津峡渓谷トンネル36°58′ N 138°45′ EGorge¥1,000, about CAD 9 or USD 6.30 (October 2026 rates)40 min
Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is a 750 m walking tunnel into one of Japan's three great gorges, with viewpoints over cliffs of columnar rock, and it suits anyone staying in Yuzawa or Tokamachi in any weather; in autumn it sells out on reservation-only days and in winter snow can close it without warning.
Photo Kropsoq · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Access
The tunnel lends three wheelchairs, two strollers and one walker free at the entrance. The floor at the far end is under a sheet of water 0.5 to 2 cm deep at the edges.
Kiyotsu Gorge sits with Kurobe in Toyama and Osugidani in Mie on the usual list of Japan's three great gorges, and the state made it a Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument in 1941. The cliffs are columnar jointing, cooled magma that cracked into stacked four- to six-sided columns. After the gorge trail was closed in the 1980s, the former village of Nakasato worked with the national and prefectural governments on a walking tunnel so people could still see them.
The tunnel runs 750 m with three viewing windows and a final Panorama Station, and the round trip takes 30 to 40 minutes. For the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, Ma Yansong and MAD Architects remade the entrance and tunnel as an artwork called Tunnel of Light. At the end a shallow pool of water mirrors the gorge, and the edges are shallow enough to walk through in shoes you don't mind getting wet.
From December the fare drops to ¥1,000 and the tunnel closes at 16:00. Snow shuts it on bad days, so check the official news page before the drive.
Worth knowing
- Bring spare socks or a towel for the water mirror at the far end.
- The tunnel and its entrance building are a registered artwork, and commercial photography or filming needs a permit from Tokamachi City plus a copyright fee agreed with the art field's NPO.
- The foot bath on the entrance building's second floor runs only from April to November.
- From Echigo-Yuzawa Station an express bus toward Morimiyanohara takes about 25 minutes to the Kiyotsukyo Iriguchi stop, and the walk from there is about 30 minutes.
Quick answers about Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnelよくある質問
How much does the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel cost?
Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel costs ¥1,200 for high school age and up from 21 April to 20 November 2026 and ¥1,000 from 21 November to 20 April; school-age children pay ¥500 or ¥400.
Do I need to book the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel?
Only on reservation-only days in the April to November high season, when the gate sells no tickets. The official calendar marks those days.
Is Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel open in winter?
Yes. Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel opens 9:00–16:00 from December to February, with last entry at 15:30, but heavy snow can close it for the day.
How long does Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel take?
The 750 m Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel takes 30 to 40 minutes there and back.
When is the best time to visit Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel?
Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel: A weekday from December to March brings snow on the cliffs and the lower fare, with no reservation-only days. Autumn colour from October into November falls in the high season, when the busiest days are reservation-only.
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