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The ranking of haunted underground ruins and tunnels includes both actual historical sites and rumors that have been added later. This article does not definitively state how scary these places are, but rather compares the specific claims of rumors about four locations—the Matsushiro Zozan Underground Bunker, the Amagi Mountain Tunnel, the Old Usui Pass Railway Tunnel Group, and the Hakkaku Tunnel—with official documents from local governments and other sources.
In conclusion, while all four locations have historical underground structures, there are no official records confirming paranormal activity. On the other hand, the rumors about the octagonal tunnel have discrepancies between the official explanation and the actual location, date, and structure itself. We will show which parts match and which remain unconfirmed for each location.
Ranking of Haunted Underground Sites and Tunnels | Research Methods
The ranking is not based on the veracity of the paranormal phenomena, but rather on an evaluation system totaling 100 points: 20 points for the specificity of the rumors, 30 points for the clarity of the official records, 25 points for the possibility of verification, 15 points for the suitability to underground remains/tunnels, and 10 points for the clarity of safety information. Each item was evaluated according to the grading criteria outlined in the text, and the scoring reasons specific to each location are also disclosed.
Official sources will prioritize publicly available pages from local governments, cultural property managers, and tourism administrators. Rumors will be treated as unverified information from existing articles or sources in the horror story file. The absence of information in official sources does not prove non-existence.
To avoid ranking war damage and memorial services in an entertainment-oriented manner, the two memorial sites from the previous version have been excluded and replaced with two locations that better match the search intent of underground ruins and tunnels.
| Rank | point | Matching results | Verification score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Usui Pass Railway Tunnel Group | Partial match | 95 |
| 2 | Matsushiro Zozan Underground Bunker | Partial match | 90 |
| 3 | Amagi Tunnel | Partial match | 85 |
| 4 | Octagonal Tunnel | mismatch | 80 |
1st Place: Old Usui Pass Railway Tunnel Group (Gunma Prefecture) | Verification Score: 95 points
rumor:
- There are reports of people who appear to be construction workers, as well as a woman in white clothing, being seen in the old tunnel.
- There are stories of beckoning shadows appearing and unexplained sounds being heard from the deserted mine.
How to handle rumors:This is a summary of unverified information published on a page introducing haunted spots in Gunma Prefecture. The construction victims mentioned in rumors and the Kumanotaira disaster recorded in official documents are not treated as the same event.
A page introducing haunted spots in Gunma Prefecture.(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Official records:
According to Annaka City, the old Usui Line, which opened in 1893, originally had 26 tunnels, and the current walking trail, "Apt no Michi," allows visitors to see 10 of these tunnels and bridges. The old Usui Pass Railway facilities are a nationally designated important cultural property, and Tunnel No. 6 is 546.17m long.
Cultural property records from Annaka City include a record of a landslide at Kumanohira in 1950 that killed 50 people. This disaster occurred more than half a century after the tunnel's opening and does not provide direct evidence for the rumor that "many people died during the tunnel's construction."
- Former Usui Pass Railway Facilities | Annaka City(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
- Apt Trail | Annaka City(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Matching results:Partial match
The long series of old railway tunnels and the disaster in Kumanotaira along the line, which resulted in numerous deaths, can be confirmed in official records. However, the construction victims, the woman in white, the figures, and the sounds linked to the rumor cannot be confirmed, suggesting that the construction history may have been confused with the 1950 disaster.
Analysis by the Horror Story Files Editorial Department:
What's important at this point is that "there are actual disaster records" and "rumored accounts accurately describe the disaster" are two different things. If you remove the date, the Kumanohira disaster of 1950 becomes a story about construction victims in the 1890s.
On walkways with a series of long tunnels, you may hear footsteps or voices of other visitors from unseen locations. However, since the time, location, and number of people involved in each individual experience are not recorded, it is impossible to conclude that it is a paranormal phenomenon based solely on the echoes.
Points that cannot be verified:
- The person or incident corresponding to the woman in white clothing or the beckoning shadow cannot be identified.
- There are no actual measurement records comparing whether the sounds inside the mine are caused by people, wind, equipment, or reverberation.
Safety and visitor information:
- Please use the official walking trails on the Abt Railway and follow the lighting hours and on-site signs. Annaka City has announced that the tunnel lights will be on from 7:00 to 18:00 and warns that it is dangerous at night.
Scoring breakdown:
Check the scoring criteria.
- Specificity of the rumor:There are two or more specific claims regarding construction workers, a woman in white, a beckoning shadow, and sounds, hence the score of 15. The date and time of the experience cannot be confirmed.
- Official record:The Annaka City documents contain 30 items, including the year of opening, the number of tunnels, structure, cultural property designation, the Kumanotaira disaster, and walking trail information.
- Matchability:By directly comparing the construction in the 1890s with the Kumanohira disaster of 1950, chronologically and by event, it is possible to determine whether the theory of construction casualties is being confused with this one, hence the score of 25 points.
- Location matching:The Annaka City guides you through 10 old railway tunnels, and they perfectly match the intent of the tunnel search, so I give them 15 points.
- Safety information:The Annaka City documents include specific information about lighting hours (7 AM to 6 PM) and dangers at night, so I give it 10 points.
2nd Place: Matsushiro Zozan Underground Bunker (Nagano Prefecture) | Verification Score: 90 points
rumor:
- There are reports of sounds like digging noises and groans coming from deep within the trench.
- There are accounts of people seeing white shadows or mist, or shapes resembling human faces or hands, and suddenly feeling chills or a sense of pressure.
How to handle rumors:This is a summary of unverified rumors published in the Nagano Prefecture article of the Horror Story File, and the editorial department has not confirmed the occurrence of the phenomenon.
Articles about haunted spots in Nagano Prefecture | Scary Stories File(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Official records:
According to Nagano City, the Matsushiro Zozan underground bunkers were excavated from November 1944 to August 15, 1945, the day the war ended, as part of the planned site for the Matsushiro Imperial Headquarters. The total length of the bunker complex is just over 10 km, and it is explained that about 80% of it was completed by the end of the war.
The city records that many Koreans and Japanese were mobilized as laborers, but also acknowledges that there are discrepancies in the accounts and documents regarding the actual mobilization. Currently, it is partially open to the public as a place for peace education.
- Guide to the Matsushiro Zozan Underground Bunker | Nagano City(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Matching results:Partial match
Official records confirm that it was an underground bunker where large-scale excavation work was carried out and a large number of people were mobilized. However, phenomena such as working noises, white shadows, and groans cannot be confirmed in official documents, and the deaths and individual incidents mentioned in rumors cannot be identified based on the documents we have examined.
Analysis by the Horror Story Files Editorial Department:
Official records reveal a heavy history: large-scale underground construction was carried out in a short period during wartime. The long, resonant tunnels, the shadows cast by the lighting, temperature differences, and the lingering sound of footsteps create conditions that easily lead to experiences that feel like hearing voices or seeing human figures, but this does not definitively explain the cause of the phenomenon.
The editorial team believes that the history of labor mobilization and accounts of paranormal experiences should not be equated. To jump to conclusions that specific victims became ghosts, while carefully examining the discrepancies between official documents and testimonies, distorts both historical facts and rumors.
Points that cannot be verified:
- It is not possible to confirm from public records when, in which section, or to how many people the sound and shadow experiences were recreated.
- We cannot find any primary sources that connect the individual deaths or accidents mentioned in rumors with the personal accounts.
Safety and visitor information:
- Visits are limited to the areas and times designated by Nagano City, and you must wear the provided helmet when entering the tunnel. The tunnel has uneven surfaces and wet areas, so please be careful where you step.
Scoring breakdown:
Check the scoring criteria.
- Specificity of the rumor:There are two or more specific claims of work noise, a white shadow, and a chill, so it scores 15 points. It does not score 20 points because the area and date of occurrence cannot be identified.
- Official record:Based on Nagano City documents, we can confirm the location, excavation period (1944-1945), total length, purpose, mobilization, and conditions for public access, resulting in 30 items.
- Matchability:While the background of underground construction and mobilization is consistent, the origin of the sound, shadow, and deaths cannot be confirmed, allowing for the separation of multiple items, hence 20 points.
- Location matching:This is the very same group of underground bunkers that Nagano City describes as having a total length of over 10 km, and it perfectly fits the purpose of searching for underground remains, so it scores 15 points.
- Safety information:10 points because the information regarding the opening hours, scope of access, helmets, and precautions against uneven surfaces and getting wet is very specific.
3rd Place: Amagi Mountain Tunnel (Shizuoka Prefecture) | Verification Score: 85 points
rumor:
- There are reports of construction workers and women in kimonos appearing inside the tunnel.
- There are accounts of people experiencing footsteps approaching from behind, hearing voices, or feeling a sudden chill when walking alone.
How to handle rumors:This is a summary of an unverified rumor published in the Shizuoka Prefecture article of the Horror Story File. The article's claim that numerous deaths occurred during construction cannot be supported by the official documents we have reviewed.
Articles about haunted spots in Shizuoka Prefecture | Scary Stories File(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Official records:
Shizuoka Prefecture describes the Amagi Mountain Tunnel as a stone road tunnel completed in 1904, with a total length of 445.5m and a width of 4.1m. It is the longest existing stone road tunnel in Japan and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2001.
Izu City tourist information states that construction began in 1900, was completed in 1904, and opened to the public in 1905. While the existence of a long tunnel constructed of stacked cut stones can be confirmed, there are no records of paranormal phenomena or fatal accidents during construction.
- Amagi Mountain Tunnel: Japan's longest stone-built road tunnel | Shizuoka Prefecture(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
- Amagi Mountain Tunnel | Izu City Tourism Information Website(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Matching results:Partial match
The setting—a long stone tunnel constructed during the Meiji period—matches official records. However, the core of the rumors about construction workers, a woman in a kimono, and construction victims cannot be substantiated from the prefectural and city documents we have examined.
Analysis by the Horror Story Files Editorial Department:
The official record of a 445.5m long stone-cut structure can explain the environment where footsteps and voices echo, creating differences in light and temperature between the entrance and the interior. However, there is no actual measurement data that explains the entire structure by echoes and cold air, so the editorial department distinguishes this as just one possibility.
The association that "it must have been a difficult construction project during the Meiji era, so there must have been casualties" may have reinforced the narrative that the spirits were those of construction workers. However, since there is no mention of deaths in the primary source, it cannot be incorporated into the article as a historical fact.
Points that cannot be verified:
- There are no records indicating whether footsteps, voices, and cold air can be reproduced in the same location and under the same conditions.
- The origins of the woman in the kimono and the person believed to be a construction worker cannot be determined.
Safety and visitor information:
- Please follow the Izu City visitor guidelines and local traffic regulations. Parking lots and restrooms may be closed seasonally, so please check the official website for the latest information before visiting.
Scoring breakdown:
Check the scoring criteria.
- Specificity of the rumor:There are two or more specific claims about construction workers, a woman in a kimono, footsteps, and cold air, so it scores 15 points. The date, time, and location inside the mine are unknown.
- Official record:Based on documents from Shizuoka Prefecture and Izu City, we can confirm the location, construction started in 1900 and was completed in 1904, as well as the structure, cultural property designation, and visitor information, totaling 30 items.
- Matchability:While the setting and the Meiji period can be matched, the core elements of the characters, accidents, and phenomena cannot be matched, hence 15 points.
- Location matching:This is the stone road tunnel described by Shizuoka Prefecture as having a total length of 445.5m, and it perfectly matches the search intent for tunnels, so it gets 15 points.
- Safety information:Izu City's documents allow you to check seasonal information about parking and restrooms, and since this needs to be checked before visiting, I'll give it 10 points.
4th Place: Octagonal Tunnel (Kumamoto Prefecture) | Verification Score: 80 points
rumor:
- A story about the ghost of a construction worker appearing inside a tunnel.
- The story of a stone falling at your feet
- A story about witnessing a mysterious orb of light.
- There's a story that a message is written on the tunnel wall.
- The story is that the temperature will drop sharply.
How to handle rumors:This is unverified information published in the Kyushu ranking article of the Horror Story Files. There are clear discrepancies with official sources regarding location, date, and structure.
Ranking of haunted spots in Kyushu | Horror Story Files(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Official records:
Kumamoto Prefecture promotes the Hakkaku Tunnel as a relic of the Kumamoto-Enzan Railway remaining in Misato Town. The Kumamoto-Enzan Railway opened in 1915 and was discontinued in 1964.
According to the prefecture's local information, although it is commonly known as the Octagonal Tunnel, it is officially described as a rockfall prevention "tunnel" designed to protect the railway tracks from bedrock, and is not a typical mountain tunnel.
- Kumamoto Railway Remains: Octagonal Tunnel | Kumamoto Prefecture(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
- Octagonal Tunnel (Kumamoto Railway Remains) | Kumamoto Prefecture(Date of verification: August 14, 2026)
Matching results:mismatch
While the rumored article describes the location as "Yatsushiro City," "Meiji period," "Old Sasahara Tunnel," and "construction accident," official documents state it as "Misato Town," "Kumamoto Railway (opened in 1915)," and "a tunnel for preventing rockfalls." Basic information other than the name differs, and no official records indicating paranormal activity or construction casualties can be found.
Analysis by the Horror Story Files Editorial Department:
The distinctive appearance of the series of octagonal structures makes it easy to understand it as an "old tunnel" in short photo captions or reproductions. However, stories of old tunnel names from other regions and construction accidents may have been mixed in, potentially altering even the location and time period.
The rumor that "rocks fall under your feet" is vocabulary-related to the official purpose of the tunnel, which is a rockfall prevention tunnel, but it is not based on any documented evidence of rocks actually falling or the phenomenon occurring. Here, we will not consider it to be "consistent with the official explanation," but rather as a clue to the formation of the rumor.
Points that cannot be verified:
- There are no official records indicating the ghosts of construction workers, stones falling at your feet, balls of light, messages on the walls, or a sudden drop in temperature.
- It is impossible to track at what point the rumor article incorporated information about Yatsushiro City, the old Sasahara Tunnel, and the Meiji period.
Safety and visitor information:
- Please follow tourist information and local signs, and do not climb on structures, enter areas where there is a risk of falling rocks, or enter unmanaged sections of the former railway line.
Scoring breakdown:
Check the scoring criteria.
- Specificity of the rumor:I give it 15 points because there are multiple specific claims, including the ghost of a construction worker, a stone at their feet, a ball of light, a message on the wall, and a drop in temperature. The date, time, and location of the incident are unknown.
- Official record:Based on Kumamoto Prefecture documents, it can be confirmed that the railway line was located in Misato Town, opened in 1915, and was discontinued in 1964. It was part of the Kumamoto-Engawa Railway and its purpose as a rockfall prevention tunnel is also confirmed, making it a 30-point item.
- Matchability:The rumored Yatsushiro City, Meiji period, old Sasahara Tunnel and the official Misato Town, 1915, Kumamoto-Enshu Railway Tunnel can be directly compared using multiple attributes, resulting in 25 points.
- Location matching:Although it's commonly known as a tunnel and is a search term, it's officially a rockfall prevention tunnel rather than an underground tunnel, hence the rating of 5 points.
- Safety information:While the prefecture provides tourist information, the primary source material does not allow for confirmation of specific times and equipment, hence the score of 5.
Summary | Read official documents and rumors separately
When compared with official documents, even if the historical structure that serves as the setting for the rumors actually exists, the personalities of the people involved, the strange noises, and the origins of the fatal accidents may not necessarily match. In particular, the location, date, and structure of the octagonal tunnel differ between the rumors and the official explanation, suggesting that other information may have been mixed in during the process of copying and summarizing.
The Horror Story Files editorial team does not aim to erase rumors, but rather to preserve facts and unconfirmed information separately. If new primary sources or administrator announcements are confirmed, the date of confirmation and any changes will be clearly indicated and the information updated.
FAQ
Does this ranking indicate that paranormal phenomena are real?
No. This ranking evaluates how well the rumors are presented and how closely they can be compared with official records. The scores do not represent the truthfulness of the paranormal phenomena.
If there are no paranormal phenomena documented in official records, does that mean the rumors are false?
The mere fact that something is not mentioned in official documents cannot be used to prove or disprove a personal experience. In this article, we have separated it as a "point that cannot be verified."
Is it okay if I go there at night?
We do not recommend this. Please observe opening hours, traffic restrictions, and instructions from the administrator, and do not enter private property, closed areas, or dangerous locations.
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" [2026 Latest] Top 4 Haunted Underground Sites and Tunnels: Comparing Official Information and Rumors This is an article compiled by the Horror Tales File editorial team as a story, based on publicly available information, rumors circulating in the community, and information submitted by readers. It does not definitively state the authenticity of paranormal phenomena.
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