[2026 Latest] Top 3 Ranking of Ghostly Rumors Related to Mountain Passes and Roads in Shikoku

The mountain passes and tunnels of Shikoku are associated with numerous accounts of sightings on the dark roads, stories originating from accidents, and rumors about the walls and smells associated with them. In this article, we examined three locations—Goshikidai Tunnel, Osaka Pass, and Naruto Skyline—by separating external rumor pages from local government/administrator documents. We compared not only the presence or absence of paranormal activity, but also the road structure, usage status, historical purpose, and specific events described in the rumors on a case-by-case basis.

Survey methods and evaluation criteria

Rumor pages are treated as secondary publications indicating that the rumor is publicly available, and the mere existence of a source does not constitute proof of the phenomenon. The determination is as follows: "Consistency" if all claims in the rumor are supported by independent sources; "Partial Consistency" if support and unconfirmed information coexist; "Disagreement" if official sources clearly present different facts about the same subject; and "Unmeasurable" if there is no evidence for direct comparison. Only if these comparisons are not valid, and significant structural changes or origins not mentioned in the rumor are confirmed by independent sources, will it be considered "New Fact." Matching place names or addresses alone do not support the existence of a supernatural phenomenon. The source quality score evaluates source transparency, historical and spatial context, safety information, freshness of information, and source transparency of the rumor, and does not reflect the level of fear or truthfulness of the supernatural phenomenon.

Rank 1: Goshikidai Tunnel (Kagawa Prefectural Road Takamatsu-Sakaide Line) | New Facts (95 points)

The rumored details

The page containing the rumor describes the Goshikidai Tunnel (Kagawa Prefectural Road Takamatsu-Sakaide Line) as a tunnel located in Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture, and states that "the ghost of a young girl appears there." It further describes that "it's quite dark inside despite the lights," that there are multiple stains on the walls, and that there is a drain under the floor in an area where a rotten smell can be detected. These are rumors and observational descriptions conveyed on the page, and do not constitute records confirming the occurrence of the phenomenon.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

On September 20, 2026, I directly checked the individual page for Goshikidai Tunnel on the "National Haunted Map." The page was last updated on December 6, 2022, and the text contains a description of the inside of the road as of May 2016. Since there is no mention of witnesses, the date and time of the incident, or the original source regarding the girl's ghost, it will be treated as a secondary publication/original source unknown.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: Goshikidai Tunnel(Confirmed on 2026-09-20) — It is said that the ghost of a young girl appears in the Goshikidai Tunnel, and the text mentions that "it is quite dark inside despite the lights" and that there is a drain under the floor in a place where a rotten smell can be detected.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

Kagawa Prefecture has announced that the four-lane expansion project for the Goshikidai section of the Kagawa Prefectural Road (Takamatsu-Sakaide Line), which began in fiscal year 2019, has been completed. The Goshikidai section of the Takamatsu-Sakaide Line of the Prefectural Road became fully four-lane and passable from 4:00 PM on December 23, 2025. Another prefectural document specifies the inspection and maintenance work for disaster prevention equipment in the "Goshikidai Tunnel (Upbound Lane)" for fiscal year 2026, indicating that it is currently managed as a road tunnel with separate facilities for each direction.

• Kagawa Prefectural Road Division: "All sections of the Goshikidai line will be widened to four lanes."(Confirmed on 2026-09-20) — The project to widen the Sanuki Hamakaido (Takamatsu-Sakaide Prefectural Road (Goshikidai section)) to four lanes, which has been under development since fiscal year 2019, has been completed, and the entire road will be open to four-lane traffic from 4:00 PM on December 23, 2025.
• Kagawa Prefecture, Chusan Civil Engineering Office: "Inspection of disaster prevention equipment on the northbound lane of the Goshikidai Tunnel"(Confirmed on 2026-09-20) — We will be conducting a general competitive bidding process for the inspection and maintenance of disaster prevention equipment on the Takamatsu-Sakaide Prefectural Road (Goshikidai Tunnel (Upbound Lane)) for fiscal year 2026.

Points of agreement/contradictions

Regarding the girl's ghost, the darkness inside, the stains on the walls, the smell, and the drains, the prefectural documents obtained do not contain any records of directly measuring the same phenomena, so we cannot support or refute them. On the other hand, while the rumor page mainly describes the internal situation as of 2016, the prefectural documents show the completion of the four-lane expansion and the management of the northbound lane afterward. This is not an agreement or contradiction with the paranormal claims, but rather new temporal information that helps us understand the current road structure.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
The ghost of a young girl appears	Unconfirmed	The Kagawa Prefecture documents obtained deal with road maintenance and disaster prevention equipment management, making it impossible to directly compare the date and time of the sighting, the original testimony, and the observation records.	No official data available for direct comparison.
Even though there are lights, it's quite dark inside.	Unconfirmed	We were unable to obtain illuminance measurements or equipment records from the same time period that correspond to the subjective brightness descriptions on the rumor page.	No official data available for direct comparison.
There is a drain under the floor in the area where a rotten smell is detected.	Unconfirmed	The prefecture's data acquisition page does not include equipment diagrams or measurement results that would allow direct confirmation of the drain location, the cause of the odor, or the date and time of occurrence.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The darkness inside the tunnel, the contrast in lighting, the dampness and odors from the drainage system, and the dirt on the walls can contribute to unsettling perceptions and misinterpretations of shapes. However, since the illumination, ventilation, odor, and wall conditions at the site were not measured simultaneously, we cannot definitively say that these factors explain individual experiences.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The scope of verification includes individual pages about the rumors, the Kagawa Prefectural Road Division's announcement regarding the four-lane expansion, and the Kagawa Prefectural Chusan Civil Engineering Office's disaster prevention equipment inspection documents. I did not verify the illumination measurements after completion, ventilation and drainage equipment diagrams, reporting records, or the original testimonies of those who experienced the phenomenon. The mere absence of mention of the strange occurrences in official documents does not mean the rumors are false.

Verification results: New facts

All of the rumored paranormal phenomena and sensory claims could not be directly compared, and therefore, no agreement, partial agreement, or disagreement was found. On the other hand, after the rumor page was updated, it was confirmed that the Goshikidai section was completed to four lanes and that the prefecture was individually managing the disaster prevention equipment for the northbound lanes. This structural change is an important update not mentioned in the rumors, so it was marked as a "new fact," but it does not mean that the paranormal phenomena have been substantiated.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	30/30	I directly checked the rumored individual page, the prefectural government's announcement about widening to four lanes, and the page for equipment inspection on the northbound lane via separate URLs.
Historical and spatial context	23/25	This allows us to organize the main periods of the rumors, the development work from 2019 onwards, and the completion of the four-lane expansion in 2025 in chronological order.
Safety information	19/20	As a road tunnel that is still under management, specific safety precautions were provided to avoid stopping or entering on foot.
Newness of information	15/15	We were able to confirm the current management status using the operational information for 2025 and the disaster prevention equipment inspection information for fiscal year 2026.
Transparency of the source of rumors	8/10	While the page where the rumor was posted and its update date were confirmed, the original testimony and first source material regarding the girl's ghost remain unknown.
total	95/100	This is the overall quality of the materials. It does not represent the degree of truthfulness or danger associated with the supernatural phenomena.

Safety information and maps

Do not stop or explore on foot inside or near the entrances/exits of road tunnels that are in use. Pay attention to lane changes, lighting, visibility, and construction restrictions, and prioritize the guidance of road administrators and on-site traffic regulations.

Map location: Coordinates have been matched to the vicinity of the center of the tunnel alignment.

Check the area around Goshikidai Tunnel (Kagawa Prefectural Road Takamatsu-Sakaide Line) on Google Maps.

2nd Place: Osaka Pass (Itano Town, Tokushima Prefecture) | Measurement Undetermined (89 points)

The rumored details

The page containing rumors features stories about the Osaka Pass (Itano Town, Tokushima Prefecture), including accounts of "unmanned cars chasing people at night," "sightings of a headless rider," and "a female ghost standing by the roadside." It also states that the numerous deaths during the road's construction and the frequent accidents caused by street racers are the background to these strange occurrences. However, these are all treated as rumors on the page and are not definitively stated as factual accidents or deaths.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

On September 20, 2026, I directly checked the individual page for Osaka Pass on the "National Haunted Map." The page contains posts and evaluations from 2014 onwards, but it does not provide original testimonies, dates, or references to official records regarding the unmanned car, headless rider, female ghost, or deaths during the road construction. Therefore, it is unclear whether this is a secondary publication or its first appearance.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: "Osaka Pass"(Confirmed on 2026-09-20) — There are rumors that if you drive up this mountain pass at night, an unmanned car will chase you, a headless rider has been sighted, and the ghost of a woman has been seen standing by the roadside.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Tokushima Prefecture Shikoku Trail guide includes Osaka Pass (Itano Town, Tokushima Prefecture) in its 8.4-kilometer "Mountain Village Trail," which runs from the prefectural border to the site of the Osakaguchi Guardhouse and then to Inubushi. The guide explains that the islands of the Seto Inland Sea can be seen from the Osaka Pass observation deck, that the old stone-paved road was once a route for people traveling from Awa Province to Sanuki Province and Kyoto, and that the site of the Osakaguchi Guardhouse was responsible for border security for approximately 230 years. It also notes that the trail is a mountain path with steep ascents and descents, and that it is necessary to check the trail markers.

• Tokushima Prefecture's Shikoku Trail Guide "04 Mountain Village Trails"(Confirmed on 2026-09-20) — The cobblestone path is a route once used by people traveling from Awa Province to Sanuki Province and the capital city of Kyoto. It is an 8.4km course connecting the prefectural border, Osaka Pass, the site of the Osakaguchi Guardhouse, Jogamaru Pond, Kurazadani, and Inubushi.

Points of agreement/contradictions

What can be confirmed from prefectural records is that the Osaka Pass was an ancient transportation route and, in the early modern period, led to border guard facilities. Regarding the unmanned car, headless rider, female ghost, numerous deaths during construction, and frequent accidents mentioned on the rumors page, there are no records in the acquired prefectural records that can be directly compared. The fact that the setting is an ancient road and a prefectural border does not count as evidence supporting the supernatural occurrences.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
An unmanned car is chasing me.	Unconfirmed	The date and time of the incident, vehicle records, and original eyewitness testimonies were not provided, and there are no records in the Tokushima Prefecture documents obtained that can be directly compared.	No official data available for direct comparison.
I witnessed a headless rider.	Unconfirmed	We were unable to verify the original records or observation conditions other than those on the rumor page, and therefore could not support or refute them using prefectural documents on nature trails and ancient roads.	No official data available for direct comparison.
Numerous deaths occurred during the construction work to open the road.	Unconfirmed	The rumor page lacks the project name, construction year, number of people involved, and source of records, and the prefectural documents obtained this time also do not deal with deaths during construction.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

On mountain roads, fog, shadows from trees, headlights from oncoming vehicles, visibility due to sharp curves, and echoes from wind and vehicle noise can all cause misidentification of the location and shape of objects. Nighttime fatigue and rumors heard beforehand can also influence perception, but these cannot be definitively attributed to specific sightings.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The official documents I checked deal with the nature trail's route, the history of the ancient path, viewpoints, and walking precautions. I did not check the construction history, police accident records, contemporary newspapers, road management ledgers, or firsthand accounts from people who experienced the trail, so I cannot confirm whether the deaths or accidents mentioned in the rumors actually occurred. I will not consider the lack of documentation as counter-evidence.

Verification result: Unmeasurable

Regarding the core rumors—the unmanned vehicle, the headless rider, the female ghost, the mass deaths during construction, and the frequent accidents—we were unable to find any support or contradiction in the independent sources we obtained. The history and transportation role of the ancient road, as confirmed by official documents, is in a different scope of comparison to these claims. Since there is no concrete support or counter-evidence, it is "unmeasurable."

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	28/30	I directly retrieved the individual pages for the rumors and the individual pages for the nature trails in Tokushima Prefecture, separating the rumors from the historical records.
Historical and spatial context	23/25	You can find information about the purpose of the old road, the guard posts that were responsible for border security, and the routes leading down from the prefectural border to the settlements in prefectural documents.
Safety information	17/20	We have compiled a list of precautions based on the information provided, such as steep ascents and descents, forks in the path, and mountain trails covered with fallen leaves and dead branches.
Newness of information	13/15	The prefectural guide was published in 2023, and the rumor page was re-acquired in 2026, but the exact time when the rumors originated is unknown.
Transparency of the source of rumors	8/10	While the content of the rumors was verifiable, the original sources for each eyewitness account and the theory of deaths during construction were not provided.
total	89/100	This is the overall quality of the materials. It does not represent the degree of truthfulness or danger associated with the supernatural phenomena.

Safety information and maps

Mountain trails have steep ascents and descents, forks in the path, and sections that are slippery due to fallen leaves and dead branches. Avoid walking on roads at night or stopping on the road, and even during daylight hours, check trail markers and weather conditions, and prioritize following traffic restrictions and no-entry signs.

Map location: Coordinates have been verified as being on the road in the Osaka district of Itano Town, Tokushima-Hikida Line, Prefectural Road.

Check the area around Osaka Pass (Itano Town, Tokushima Prefecture) on Google Maps.

3rd Place: Naruto Skyline (Shihomi Observation Deck) | Unmeasurable (85 points)

The rumored details

The page containing the rumor states that on March 13, 2015, two motorcycles collided head-on on a prefectural road near the Naruto Skyline (Shihomi Observatory), resulting in the deaths of both drivers. Furthermore, it mentions that one of the deceased was a person known for dressing up as Kamen Rider, and that he is rumored to appear on the Naruto Skyline at night. However, the classification at the top of the page is "Animal Spirits," which does not align with the story about the person in the main text.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

On September 20, 2026, I directly checked the individual page for the Naruto Skyline on the "National Haunted Map." The page itself includes a warning that it lacks primary information and contains unverified content. The accident description is attributed to the local edition of the Mainichi Shimbun on March 14, 2015, but since I was unable to trace back to the original newspaper article or police announcement from the publicly available page I obtained, I will treat the accident and the identification of the people involved as a secondary publication example/first publication unconfirmed.

• Nationwide Haunted Map: "Naruto Skyline"(Verification Date: 2026-09-20) — This article details a head-on motorcycle collision on the Naruto Skyline prefectural road in March 2015, and includes rumors that one of the deceased was a Kamen Rider cosplayer who appeared on the road at night.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The official Naruto City tourism website describes the Naruto Skyline (Shihomi Observatory) as an observation point located in Nakashimada Higashiyama, Seto-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture. The Shihomi Observatory is located on the Naruto Skyline, which runs along the sea and mountains, and offers views of Uchino Sea and fishing houses. The observatory has facilities that explain the view, and it is said to be about a 10-minute drive from the Naruto North Interchange. Furthermore, Kagamishima Island below is a place where Shinto rituals are performed and landing is prohibited, and visitors are advised to refrain from navigating the surrounding waters for safety reasons.

• Naruto City Official Tourism Website: "Shihomi Observatory and Kagashima Island"(Confirmed on 2026-09-20) — Shihomi Observatory is located on the Naruto Skyline, a scenic drive course surrounded by the sea and mountains, where you can enjoy the magnificent view of Uchinoumi with its floating fishing boats.

Points of agreement/contradictions

Official tourist information confirms that the Shihomi Observatory is located on the Naruto Skyline and is a viewpoint overlooking Uchino Sea. However, we were unable to obtain any public records that can be directly compared to the 2015 collision, the identification of the deceased, the nighttime appearances, and the spirits of the animals in the upper classification mentioned on the rumors page. We will not use the existence of the road and the observatory as evidence to support the claims of an accident or paranormal activity.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
On March 13, 2015, two motorcycles collided head-on on a prefectural road, resulting in the deaths of both drivers.	Unconfirmed	The rumor page mentions a newspaper, but the official documents we were able to obtain directly this time do not contain any accident records, and we were unable to trace back to the original newspaper articles.	No official data available for direct comparison.
One of the deceased was a person known for dressing up as Kamen Rider.	Unconfirmed	We were unable to obtain police statements, records of affiliated organizations, or original newspaper articles to corroborate the identification of the individuals, nor could we compare them with official tourism materials.	No official data available for direct comparison.
Appears on the Naruto Skyline at night	Unconfirmed	The date of the incident, eyewitness accounts, photographic records, and observation conditions are not provided, and there is no independent data to determine its reproducibility.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

The curves of the skyline, headlights at night, sea fog, roadside trees, and distant vehicles or observation decks may briefly resemble human figures or animals. While visibility is limited while driving, the conditions at the scene have not been recreated, so it cannot be definitively said that this explains the specific sighting in the rumors.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The scope of verification is limited to the individual pages about the rumors and the official Naruto City tourism website. We have not checked individual police accident records, newspaper archives, records of people's activities, original eyewitness testimonies, nighttime footage, or weather conditions. The newspaper names mentioned on the rumor pages alone are not sufficient to independently verify the full description of the accident or the identification of the people involved, and the fact that they are not mentioned on the official tourism website does not refute them.

Verification result: Unmeasurable

Regarding the claims in the rumors concerning accidents, identification of individuals, nighttime appearances, and animal spirits, we were unable to confirm or contradict them based on the independent sources obtained. Official sources only confirm roadside viewpoints, views, and safety conditions. Since accidents or paranormal phenomena cannot be supported solely by location matching, the comparison results are "unmeasurable."

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	27/30	We acquired the individual pages related to the rumors and the official Naruto City tourism website, and separated the accident/supernatural occurrences from the tourist information.
Historical and spatial context	19/25	You can find information about the location of the observation deck, its relationship to roads, and the history of the use of Uchinoumi and Kagamishima in official documents.
Safety information	18/20	In addition to avoiding stopping on roads, the measures now reflect a ban on landing on Kagashima Island and a request to refrain from navigation in the surrounding waters.
Newness of information	14/15	I checked the current information on the official tourism website, but I couldn't find any reconfirmation of the rumored accident description in the original newspaper article.
Transparency of the source of rumors	7/10	The rumor page lists the newspaper name and date, but does not provide links to the original article, identification documents for the people involved, or eyewitness accounts.
total	85/100	This is the overall quality of the materials. It does not represent the degree of truthfulness or danger associated with the supernatural phenomena.

Safety information and maps

Do not stop on roads with curves or changes in visibility, or step outside the observation deck. Landing on Kagashima Island is prohibited, and you are advised to refrain from navigating the surrounding waters. Prioritize local parking locations and regulations.

Map location: Coordinates have been verified to match the location of the Shihomi Observatory listed on the official Naruto City tourism website.

Check the area around Naruto Skyline (Shihomi Observatory) on Google Maps.

What I learned by crossing locations

While the existence and maintenance status of the roads and passes at all three locations could be confirmed through official documents, this alone is not enough to corroborate eyewitness accounts or paranormal phenomena. For Osaka Pass, the history of the ancient road was confirmed, and for Naruto Skyline, the viewpoints and usage conditions were verified, but the core rumors could not be directly compared, making them "unmeasurable." No paranormal activity has been confirmed at Goshikidai Tunnel, but a significant structural update—the completion of four-lane expansion—was found after the rumor page was updated, so it was included as a "new fact." When reading rumors, it is necessary to separate the location, time period, road structure, and source of information.

summary

This verification confirmed that the Osaka Pass is an ancient road connecting Awa to Sanuki, that the Shihomi Observatory is a viewpoint on the Naruto Skyline, and that the Goshikidai section was widened to four lanes in December 2025. On the other hand, the claims of unmanned vehicles, headless riders, nighttime appearances, the ghost of a young girl, and internal sensory anomalies could not be supported or refuted from the municipal documents obtained. When applying old rumors to the current road environment, it is important to distinguish between the pre- and post-construction periods and the road alignment.

FAQ

Does "unmeasurable" mean the rumor is false?

No. What I mean is that the independent documents we obtained this time cannot either support or refute the claims. The mere fact that there is no mention of the strange occurrences in the local government documents does not mean that the rumors do not exist or are false.

Does the new information mean that the supernatural phenomenon has been confirmed?

No. I meant that I confirmed the important road structure update of the Goshikidai section, which is not mentioned on the rumors page: widening to four lanes. This is not proof of any paranormal activity or eyewitness accounts.

If the existence of the location and roads can be confirmed, does that count as a partial match?

No. The mere existence of a place name, address, or road does not support the supernatural occurrence. The specific dates, structure, use, and incidents included in the rumor must be addressed with the same subject, fact, and degree as independent sources.

Can you verify the rumors by going to the location?

Observing while driving or exploring at night can lead to accidents or disturbances. This article does not recommend on-site verification. Please follow the regulations of road administrators and avoid stopping on the roadway, entering on foot, or entering restricted areas.