The other day, on October 31, Nishinomiya Tsushin’s 
and 
and 
and 
went to the darkest place in Nishinomiya.
Here it is↓
It’s a tunnel.
This time, Nishinomiya Tsushin went to explore a certain tunnel as the darkest place in Nishinomiya.
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3 Famous Tunnels in Nishinomiya
When it comes to famous tunnels in Nishinomiya, these are the three.
Bantaki Tunnel
Bantaki Tunnel connects northern and southern Nishinomiya.
It became free to use in April 2018.
Iwasone Tunnel
It may not be that famous, but there’s also Iwasone Tunnel.
It’s a short tunnel, about 60 meters long, located on the border between Nishinomiya City and Ashiya City.
Its official name is Iwasone Zuido.
Manbo Tunnel
Manbo Tunnel is often featured on TV.
Only one person can barely pass through at a time, and it is just 1.3 meters high and 1.5 meters wide.
We wrote an article about it before.
All of these tunnels are either famous or a little unusual.
But the tunnel we visited this time is missing something that all three of these tunnels have in common.
The Tunnels on the Former JR Fukuchiyama Line Track
The tunnel we visited this time is on the former JR Fukuchiyama Line track in Shiose-cho, Nishinomiya City.
The former JR Fukuchiyama Line track.
Have you heard of it?
It was once part of the JR Fukuchiyama Line, where locomotives used to run, but it is no longer in use. That’s why it’s an abandoned railway.
It’s basically the railway version of ruins. (Apparently, that’s why fans of abandoned places like it too.)
There are six tunnels here.
These six tunnels are missing something that tunnels normally have as a matter of course.
Here’s a map of the six tunnel locations↓
(The area west of the Muko River is definitely Nishinomiya City.)
An abandoned railway.
So there’s no electricity.
In other words.
There are no lights.
And the longest tunnel is over 400 meters long.
So even during the day, the inside of the tunnel becomes pitch-dark.
It’s so dark that an ordinary flashlight can’t light up the whole space. That’s how dark it is.
So this time, we filmed what’s inside the darkest tunnel in Nishinomiya.
The article from here has a fairly long introduction, including “how to get to the abandoned railway track.”
If you’re thinking, “I want to go too,” take your time reading through it.
If you only want to read the tunnel part, click here to skip ahead.
How to Get to This Tunnel
There are three ways to get to the former JR Fukuchiyama Line track where this tunnel is located.
- Namaze Station (Nishinomiya to Takarazuka route)
- Nishinomiya-Najio Station (Nishinomiya to Takarazuka route)
- Takedao Station (Takarazuka to Nishinomiya route)
This time, we went from Namaze Station. Next time, we’ll try starting from Najio.
(There are two reasons. We wanted to go from Nishinomiya. Also, starting from Namaze Station seems to be the standard route.)
Getting to Namaze Station
Nishinomiya Tsushin started from Hankyu Shukugawa Station, so here’s a quick explanation of how we got there.
From Hankyu Shukugawa Station, transfer at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station.
Take the Imazu Line toward Takarazuka.
It’s seven stations to the final stop, Takarazuka Station. The ride takes 14 minutes.
Transfer from Hankyu Takarazuka Station to JR Takarazuka Station.
At JR Takarazuka Station, head to Platform 1 for trains bound for Sanda and Sasayamaguchi.
Namaze Station, where you get off, is just one stop from Takarazuka Station. The ride takes only 2 minutes.
(Limited express and rapid trains do not stop at Namaze Station, so take a local train.)
When we exited the ticket gate at Namaze Station, there was a poster with a map of the abandoned railway track.
You can take the small map on the right. You can also download it.
Here’s the map↓
From Namaze Station to the Former JR Fukuchiyama Line Track
It takes about 15 minutes on foot from Namaze Station to the abandoned railway track.
First, leave the station and go right.
There’s a Co-op Mini right nearby.
We got drinks here. They also sell things like rice balls.
Walk along Route 176.
The sidewalk is quite narrow.
As you walk along Route 176, you’ll see a black signboard. Follow its directions.
As the “arrow →” indicates, cross at this traffic light.
There’s a small path by this fence.
There’s another signboard here. Just 250 meters to go.
From this path, you enter a residential area. Move through quietly and quickly.
There was a vending machine along the way.
This is the last spot to stock up on drinks. It’s precious. In summer, it’s an oasis.
Keep going through the residential area.
You’ll enter an area that feels like a forest.
Go down the slope.
At the bottom:
- Go left for the entrance to the abandoned railway track
- Go right for the restroom
The restroom looks like this↓
There are no restrooms along the abandoned railway track. Make sure to go here.
It’s a portable restroom, but it was cleaner than we expected.
Oh, and in the men’s restroom, you step on something to flush the water. The way the water flows was kind of interesting, so please try it for yourself.
The Entrance to the Abandoned Railway Track
The entrance to the abandoned railway track looks like this↓
There are all kinds of warnings written here.
Falling rocks, fallen trees, slippery surfaces, and so on.
It also says, “Even during the day, some areas inside the tunnels are in darkness.”
We Brought the Strongest Flashlight
So Nishitsuu ended up buying what someone online called “the strongest flashlight.”
It’s an LED flashlight called the TN36, and it can shine at up to 11,000 lumens.
That’s about the same as 14 60-watt incandescent bulbs. Apparently, it’s brighter than a car’s headlights.
These batteries look like AA batteries, but they’re a mysterious larger size called 18650. They’re rechargeable too.
