[2026 Latest] Top 3 Ranking of Ghostly Rumors in Eastern Japan

From the initial draft candidates dealing with tunnels in eastern Japan, only three were selected, based on the ability to verify external rumor pages, government or publicly accessible explanatory pages, and map coordinates on the same day. The ranking is determined not by the strength of the supernatural phenomena, but by a combined score of source transparency, historical context, safety information, timeliness, and traceability of the rumor. Rumors are not accepted as fact, and points of agreement with publicly available information and unconfirmed parts are clearly distinguished and presented.

Survey methods and evaluation criteria

As of September 13, 2026, we directly checked the individual pages for each candidate and secured at least one different external rumor page and one administrative/public document for each location. Coordinates were verified by matching location names and regions with publicly available geographic data, and the same coordinates were set as the URL for embedding and searching on Google Maps. Supernatural occurrences not covered in official documents were left unconfirmed, and the abundance or sensationalism of personal accounts was not used as evidence of existence.

1st Place: Old Mikuni Tunnel (Mikuni Tunnel) | Undecided (93 points)

The rumored details

An independent ghost story website lists rumors about the old Mikuni Tunnel (Mikuni Tunnel), such as "the ghost of a boy appears" and "a black shadow crosses the tunnel." It also describes it as the old tunnel on National Route 17, which connected Minakami Town in Gunma Prefecture to Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture, but the page does not present any primary records or continuous observational data to support these paranormal occurrences.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The rumor originates from a separate article published by a paranormal investigation site on May 16, 2024. Because the article includes both a ghost story and a facility description on the same page, we separated the description of the rumor from the factual road construction details verifiable from administrative documents for evaluation.

• Paranormal Investigation: "Mikuni Tunnel (Mikuni Zuido)"(Verification Date: 2026-09-13) — This article lists rumors of paranormal phenomena at the Mikuni Tunnel (Mikuni Tunnel Road), including the appearance of a boy's ghost and the sighting of a black shadow.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Kanto Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Mikuni Disaster Prevention page describes a project to improve the alignment and visibility of National Route 17 from Minakami Town, Gunma Prefecture to Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, as well as replacing aging bridges and constructing the new Mikuni Tunnel. In this article, the old Mikuni Tunnel (Mikuni Tunnel) refers to the tunnel before its renovation, but the document does not mention any strange occurrences or paranormal phenomena.

• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kanto Regional Development Bureau, "Mikuni Disaster Prevention"(Confirmed on 2026-09-13) — The National Highway 17 Mikuni Disaster Prevention Project aims to ensure traffic safety by improving sections with poor alignment and visibility, replacing aging bridges, and constructing the new Mikuni Tunnel.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The rumor page and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism documents are consistent in terms of geographical background: a tunnel on National Route 17 at the border of Gunma and Niigata prefectures. However, the administrative documents only confirm the road structure and safety measures, and no records were found to support the rumors of the boy's appearance or the black shadow.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
A boy's ghost appears	Unconfirmed	Although it is mentioned on the rumor page, there is no record of the phenomenon in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's documents, and no independent primary evidence can be found.	No official data available for direct comparison.
A black shadow crosses the screen.	Unconfirmed	There are no records indicating the date and time of occurrence or observation conditions, and no similar phenomenon can be confirmed from publicly available documents from road administrators, making it impossible to corroborate the findings.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

In dark tunnels, vehicle lights, contrasts in brightness near the entrance, fog, and reflections from the walls may be perceived as temporary shadows. Additionally, internal reverberations may sometimes sound like voices, but the cause of individual experiences cannot be determined.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The administrative documents outline the Mikuni disaster prevention project and are not reports investigating nighttime experiences. The rumors page also lacks date, time, observation conditions, original records, and multiple independent testimonies, making it impossible to verify the reproducibility of each claim.

Verification result: Indeterminate

The existence of the road facilities and the section at the prefectural border can be confirmed through administrative documents and geographical information, but there are no official records or re-verifiable observational data to support the two claims of supernatural occurrences. Since there is no material to refute them, the truth or falsity of either claim cannot be determined.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	28/30	This allows users to directly access national project pages and individual external rumor pages, clearly separating their respective roles.
Historical and spatial context	22/25	The background to the road renovation along the prefectural border and the construction of the new Mikuni Tunnel can be confirmed from administrative documents.
Safety information	20/20	Given the purpose of improving road management and the fact that it is a section that was formerly a tunnel, it is possible to clearly state the decision to avoid entering the area.
Newness of information	14/15	The public page was retrieved again on the specified verification date, and both the current administrative project page and the rumored article were compared.
Transparency of the source of rumors	9/10	We identified the individual URLs, article titles, publication dates, and the two claims made in the rumors in a traceable format.
total	93/100	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 enter the area beyond old roads or closed facilities. Local regulations, snow cover, rockfalls, and poor visibility conditions can change, so prioritize the latest information from road administrators and do not explore at night or stop on the road.

Check the area around the old Mikuni Tunnel (Mikuni Tunnel) on Google Maps.

2nd Place: Jōmon Tunnel | Undecided (90 points)

The rumored details

External ghost story pages describe rumors about the Jōmon Tunnel, such as "low groans and footsteps can be heard" and "black shadows move smoothly." They also mention that the tunnel is located between Ikutahara Station and Kinka Signal Station on the Sekihoku Main Line, but they do not include any verification materials such as the date and time of the strange occurrences, train operation records, or original testimonies.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The rumors were gathered from a separate article about Hokkaido published by a paranormal investigation site on January 9, 2025. Because the historical explanation and ghost stories are presented consecutively, this article separates only the facility information that can be cross-referenced with other publicly available regional documents as factual.

• Paranormal Investigation: "The Jōmon Tunnel"(Verification Date: 2026-09-13) — Inside the tunnel, low groans and footsteps can sometimes be heard from places where no one should be. There are also rumors of black shadows moving around.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The publicly available local document "Buratto" describes the Jōmon Tunnel as a 507-meter-long tunnel located between Ikutahara Station and Kinka Signal Station on the JR Hokkaido Sekihoku Main Line, stating that construction began in 1912 and it opened in 1914. While the document also touches on the construction history, it is not an official record from the railway administrator, so this article will be limited to referencing the facility's location and basic chronological information.

• A casual stroll through Hokkaido: "Jomon Tunnel"(Confirmed on 2026-09-13) — The Jōmon Tunnel is a 507-meter-long tunnel located between Ikutahara Station and Kinka Signal Station on the JR Hokkaido Sekihoku Main Line.

Points of agreement/contradictions

The rumor page and the publicly available local documents agree that the Jōmon Tunnel is located on the Sekihoku Main Line, between Ikutahara Station and Kinka Signal Station. However, the publicly available local documents do not contain any records of groaning, footsteps, or black shadows being observed, and the strange occurrences remain merely rumors on external pages.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
I can hear low groans and footsteps.	Unconfirmed	Aside from the rumor page, there are no other documents recording the date and time of the incident or the source of the sound, and no publicly available regional documents report any sounds as a supernatural phenomenon.	No official data available for direct comparison.
A black shadow moves smoothly.	Unconfirmed	Since no video footage, observation conditions, or railway records have been presented, and it is impossible to distinguish it from normal lighting or differences in brightness, it is impossible to corroborate the findings.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

In railway tunnels, the sounds of trains, reflections from rails and walls, wind pressure, and drainage noises combine in a complex way, potentially causing misidentification of the sound source. Distant lights and differences in brightness may also appear as moving shadows, but there is no evidence to explain specific experiences.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

The local information referenced is from publicly accessible pages for tourists, not maintenance records or accident investigation documents from railway administrators. The rumor pages also lack audio recordings, operating dates and times, observation locations, etc., making it impossible to safely and independently re-examine the claims.

Verification result: Indeterminate

While the location, length, and start/opening dates of the line can be verified using publicly available documents, no management records or measurement data supporting the claims of groaning or black shadows were found. Since there is also no documentation to definitively deny these claims, the authenticity of the paranormal activity cannot be determined.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	25/30	We directly retrieved individual rumor pages and publicly available pages dealing with the facility's history, and distinguished the scope of evidence for each claim.
Historical and spatial context	23/25	The specific details of the route, the distance between stations, the total length, the year construction began, and the year of opening can be confirmed from publicly available documents.
Safety information	20/20	It can be treated as a facility located on the current railway line, and entry onto the tracks or railway land can be clearly prohibited.
Newness of information	13/15	Although both pages were re-obtained on the specified confirmation date, the update date of the facility history document itself could not be determined from the text.
Transparency of the source of rumors	9/10	The individual URLs, publication dates, and claims of each rumor article are clearly displayed, and the location of the reference can be tracked.
total	90/100	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

Entering active railway lines and their surrounding areas is strictly prohibited. Do not approach tracks, tunnel entrances, or maintenance access roads, and do not engage in activities that disrupt operations or conduct nighttime exploration. Verification should be limited to publicly available documents and maps.

Check the area around the Jōmon Tunnel on Google Maps.

3rd Place: Old Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Tunnel) | Undecided (73 points)

The rumored details

The external ghost story page mentions rumors about the old Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Tunnel), such as "a young woman beckons at the entrance" and "the number of people in a car changes when you enter." Other stories involving monks and people in white robes are also listed, but no primary sources are provided to verify the date and time of each experience, the original testimony, or the conditions under which they were observed.

Source of the rumor and date of verification

The rumor was published in a separate article for Yamanashi Prefecture in a paranormal investigation magazine, and consisted of a description of the location and a collection of several ghost stories. In this article, only the descriptions that could actually be confirmed on the publicly available page were extracted, and the Fukushima Prefecture designation from the original draft was not adopted.

• Paranormal Investigation: "Old Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Tunnel)"(Verification Date: 2026-09-13) — This article includes rumors about the old Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Tunnel), such as a young woman beckoning people at the entrance and the number of people inside the vehicle changing.

Things that could be confirmed from official and primary source materials

The Agency for Cultural Affairs' online search results for cultural heritage sites display "Misaka Tunnel" as the title of the search results page. In this article, the Old Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Tunnel) refers to the same location in Yamanashi Prefecture. However, since the retrieved text did not display detailed individual records, the construction year, structure, and cultural property classification cannot be definitively determined solely from that page.

• Cultural Heritage Online "Search results for Misaka Tunnel"(Verification date 2026-09-13) — The title of the search results page is displayed as "Search results for Misaka Tunnel, Cultural Heritage Online".

Points of agreement/contradictions

The location description on the rumor page and the publicly available geographical data are consistent in that the subject is the Misaka Tunnel in Yamanashi Prefecture, but do not match the Fukushima Prefecture designation in the original draft. While the cultural heritage search page confirms the name, it does not mention the woman beckoning or the change in the number of passengers, and therefore does not support the supernatural aspect.

The rumored atomic claim	Matching results	reason	Corresponding documents
A young woman beckons at the entrance.	Unconfirmed	Aside from the rumor page, there are no original testimonies, dates, or observation records, and there is no relevant information on the cultural heritage search page either.	No official data available for direct comparison.
The number of people in a car changes when you enter.	Unconfirmed	Since the reproduction conditions and recording media were not provided, and verification with independent sources was not possible, this cannot be supported as fact.	No official data available for direct comparison.

Alternative interpretation

In mountainous areas around tunnels, fog, sudden changes in brightness, reflections, and blind spots inside vehicles can lead to misperceptions. Misidentification of the number of people may also be due to errors in low light conditions or altered memories, but there is no data to explain the cause in individual cases.

Scope and limitations of the investigation

Individual explanations could not be obtained from the search results text of the Cultural Heritage Online, and the current access conditions set by the administration/management could not be determined from these two sources alone. Since the rumor page also lacks references to the original testimonies, the circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the strange phenomena cannot be re-examined.

Verification result: Indeterminate

While the name, location within Yamanashi Prefecture, and coordinates could be verified, no official records or independent observational data supporting the two claims of supernatural occurrences could be found. On the other hand, there is also no data to prove non-existence, so a determination cannot be made for verification purposes.

Document Quality Score

Source transparency	21/30	I obtained the individual pages and the official cultural heritage search pages, but the individual text on the official pages was limited.
Historical and spatial context	12/25	Although the name and region of the target building could be confirmed, the details of its construction history and structure could not be determined from the acquired text.
Safety information	18/20	While we can outline the principle of avoiding nighttime exploration on mountain roads and entering restricted areas, it is necessary to separately check the latest traffic conditions.
Newness of information	13/15	I directly retrieved both public pages on the specified verification date and corrected the incorrect prefecture designation in the original draft.
Transparency of the source of rumors	9/10	Individual URLs and two specific rumors were presented in a traceable format, and unverified parts were distinguished.
total	73/100	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

On mountain roads, be aware of fog, ice, falling rocks, narrow roads, and traffic restrictions. Do not stop inside tunnels or on the road to conduct inspections, and do not enter closed facilities, private property, or restricted areas. Check with the road authority for the latest information.

Check the area around the old Misaka Tunnel (Misaka Tunnel) on Google Maps.

What I learned by crossing locations

The old Mikuni Tunnel has project documents from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, making it easy to trace the background and safety considerations of the upgrade from the old road to the new tunnel. The Jōmon Tunnel has publicly available documents explaining the railway line, length, and opening date, but since it is still a railway facility, approaching it itself poses a significant danger. Although the name and coordinates of the old Misaka Tunnel could be confirmed, the individual information obtainable from the official search page was limited, and it has the least verifiable historical information of the three locations. No documents proving the existence of any supernatural phenomena could be found for any of them.

summary

This time, we were able to provide all three pieces of information—source, coordinates, and location—for the former Mikuni Tunnel, the Jōmon Tunnel, and the former Misaka Tunnel. While the existence of these tunnels or transportation facilities and their geographical locations can be confirmed, we were unable to corroborate the sounds, shadows, and sightings reported on external pages with official documents. Therefore, we have determined that the paranormal activity at all locations is "undeterminable," and for safety reasons, the top priority is to avoid entering closed sections and railway property.

FAQ

Does this ranking indicate the existence of paranormal phenomena?

We do not provide any information. The rankings are based on a scoring system that considers the transparency of publicly available materials, historical information, safety guidance, update status, and traceability of rumor pages, and do not constitute a certification of the existence or degree of danger of supernatural phenomena.

Is it possible to enter the interior of the old Mikuni Tunnel?

The old tunnel is a section of the road that became part of the old road after the opening of the new Mikuni Tunnel. Do not cross the closed facilities or enter the tunnel without permission from the road administrator. Please check the latest traffic regulations with the guidance of the local government and road administrator.

Is it possible to visit the Jōmon Tunnel in person?

The Jōmon Tunnel is described as a railway tunnel on the Sekihoku Main Line. Entering the tracks or railway property is extremely dangerous, so please do not explore the site and only confirm information using publicly available documents.