Hidden Wonders

[Hidden Wonders of Japan] In Chichibu: Is the Unusual 'Lion' Tunnel Swallowing Cars Up?

The lion, with its piercing eyes and gaping mouth, is from a traditional lion dance celebrated in Chichibu for more than 400 years.

Published

1 year ago

March 24, 2023

Takumi Kamoshida

Yusukudo Tunnel entrance in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. (© Sankei by Takumi Kamoshida)

A lion's mouth suddenly appears on the mountain road, ready to swallow anyone passing through. The initially startling sight is the entrance of the Yusukudo Tunnel on Prefectural Route 73. It runs 413m (1355 ft) through Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. It was built in conjunction with a nearby dam in 1991.

Drivers might point out that the tunnel lion doesn't resemble a typical lion. That's because it is a shishi from the Urayama Shinshimai, a traditional lion dance celebrated in Chichibu for more than 400 years.

Chichibu — *A truck comes out of the lion's mouth (© Sankei by Takumi Kamoshida)*

While the northern end of the tunnel is a lion's gaping mouth, the other end is guarded by two lions.

Yusukudo in Saitama Prefecture used to be a village before Urayama Dam was built over it. Nobody lives in this region now, but the lion, with its gaping mouth and piercing eyes, carries the name of Yusukudo into the future.