CultureGuest UserJune 12, 2023japanese, subculture, original, culture, japan, art, saho, photographer, torii, shine

The Truth Behind Japan’s Creepiest Tunnel Shrine

CultureGuest UserJune 12, 2023japanese, subculture, original, culture, japan, art, saho, photographer, torii, shine

If this decaying shrine doesn’t have you backtracking, nothing will.

These creepy photos went viral on social media after a Japanese urban explorer found this spine-chilling scene while exploring the underground maps. This discovery was made by Saho, who photographs his explorations of abandoned buildings, secret looking spots, and stunning birds-eye-view shots. But the eeriness of this abandoned torii in this wet, dark cavity frightened the web.

the-truth-behind-japans-creepiest-tunnel-shrine

Found at the entrance of shrines, a torii is a gate that separates the realm of our world and that of the divine and spiritual. An important symbol for Shintoism, it’s also one of Japan’s most defining characteristics. Around 90 000 of them are found across Japan and traces of the existence of toriis date back to over a thousand years ago, and sacred places are most commonly found amidst nature, sometimes in areas inaccessible to the public. Some shrines lose popularity due to their remote locations or unapproachable appearance.

Japan and traces of the existence of toriis date back to over a thousand years ago, and sacred places are most commonly found amidst nature, sometimes in areas inaccessible to the public. Some shrines lose popularity due to their remote locations or unapproachable appearance.

Comments flooded through, pointing out how haunted the scene looked. Speculations about it being home to a nefarious god also came about, but its frightening aura is far from what it really is. The shrine in this cave is Amagamine Ochobo Inari shrine in Kani City of Gifu Prefecture, and is home to a summer festival that happens along this dark tunnel and its connected caves. It seems that this strange underground location dates from World War II.

But a few years passed since the last tunnel festival and the Amagamine Ochobo Inari shrine flooded, consequently abandoned with a few remnants of worn-down festive decor from a long-forgotten summer. Saho also found a completely rusted and battered truck to add to the post-apocalyptic, nightmarish setting of the shrine. Whether it looks like a portal to the backrooms or a curse not to be unsealed, it is after all a once beloved place of celebration that met an unfortunate fate.