Tonkararin Tunnel Structure

Last updated
The slit area covered with stones Tonkararin Crack.jpg
The slit area covered with stones
Underground stone masonry underdrain, the steps visible are too shallow to enter in a flexed position Tonkararin Tunnel.jpg
Underground stone masonry underdrain, the steps visible are too shallow to enter in a flexed position

The Tonkararin (トンカラリン, Tonkararin) or Tonkararin tunnel structure is a 464.6 meter long, tunnel-like structure of unknown origin, situated in Nagomi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It lies on a plateau called Seibaru Daichi, around which are many kofun or tumuli, such as Eda-Funayama Kofun. It consists of very shallow natural slits of the ground covered with stones and man-made stone-structured underdrains. The name of Tonkararin came from the sound of a stone, when the stone is thrown into the tunnel. Another view is that it came from the Korean language. Korean Tongurami, similar to Tonkararin was a cave connected with religious functions. [1]

Contents

General description

Tonkararin came to the attention of Kumamoto people when Sanpaku Koga noticed and reported them to the Kumamoto Prefecture in August 1974. [2] In October, specialists of the cultural assets of Kumamoto Prefecture started to investigate it and an aqueduct hypothesis and a religion-associated hypothesis were suggested. In May 1975, Seicho Matsumoto, a noted novelist interested in archeology and Japanese ancient history, observed Tonkararin and proposed that it might be connected with Yamataikoku, leading to the nationwide interest in Tonkararin. [3] In 1975, the aqueduct hypothesis was prevalent. In March 1978, the education committee of Kumamoto Prefecture suggested the aqueduct theory in its report. However, in June 1993, a re-investigation of Tonkararin of the team publicly denied the aqueduct theory. There have been no mythological legends in the neighboring area concerning Tonkararin.

Structure

Tonkararin Symposium on October 29, 2001 at Nagomi Town

At the symposium, previous views were reviewed. Tatsuo Inoue, Professor Emeritus of Tsukuba University suggested that Tonkararin might be connected with some religious function since rebirth from false death needs entering a cave or purification. Sanpaku Koga, Seiya Tida, Tomoshige Inoue, Tokunao Idemiya and Sachihiro Oota favored the view that Tonkararin was connected with some religious acts. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster Canal</span> Canal in Northwest England

The Lancaster Canal is a canal in North West England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria. The section around the crossing of the River Ribble was never completed, and much of the southern end leased to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, of which it is now generally considered part.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunnel</span> Underground passage made for traffic

A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ventilation openings at various points along the length. A pipeline differs significantly from a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube construction techniques rather than traditional tunnel boring methods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofun period</span> Period of Japanese history from 300 to 538

The Kofun period is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD, following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is the earliest era of recorded history in Japan, but studies depend heavily on archaeology since the chronology of historical sources tends to be distorted. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mound dating from this era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pont du Gard</span> Ancient Roman aqueduct bridge

The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km (31 mi) to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). It crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is one of the best preserved Roman aqueduct bridges. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in 1985 because of its exceptional preservation, historical importance, and architectural ingenuity.

<i>Magatama</i> Japanese curved beads

Magatama are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as "jewels", were made of primitive stone and earthen materials in the early period, but by the end of the Kofun period were made almost exclusively of jade. Magatama originally served as decorative jewelry, but by the end of the Kofun period functioned as ceremonial and religious objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baths of Caracalla</span> Ancient Roman bath, a landmark of Rome, Italy

The Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy, were the city's second largest Roman public baths, or thermae, after the Baths of Diocletian. The baths were likely built between AD 212 and 216/217, during the reigns of emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla. They were in operation until the 530s and then fell into disuse and ruin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qanat</span> Water management system using underground channels

A qanat or kārīz is a system for transporting water from an aquifer or well to the surface through an underground aqueduct; the system originated approximately 3,000 years ago in Iran. The function is essentially the same across the Middle East and North Africa, but the system operates under a variety of regional names: qanat or kārīz in Iran, karez in Afghanistan and Pakistan, foggara in Algeria, qanat in Malta, khettara in Morocco, falaj in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and uyūn in Saudi Arabia, etc. The largest extant and functional qanat systems are located in Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, and the oases of the Turfan region in Xinjiang, Northwestern China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumbarton Bridge (Washington, D.C.)</span> United States historic place

The Dumbarton Bridge, also known as the Q Street Bridge and the Buffalo Bridge, is a historic masonry arch bridge in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croton Aqueduct</span> 19th-century aqueduct serving New York City

The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. The great aqueducts, which were among the first in the United States, carried water by gravity 41 miles (66 km) from the Croton River in Westchester County to reservoirs in Manhattan. It was built because local water resources had become polluted and inadequate for the growing population of the city. Although the aqueduct was largely superseded by the New Croton Aqueduct, which was built in 1890, the Old Croton Aqueduct remained in service until 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gihon Spring</span> Water spring in Jerusalem

Gihon Spring or Fountain of the Virgin, also known as Saint Mary's Pool, is a spring in the Kidron Valley. It was the main source of water for the Pool of Siloam in Jebus and the later City of David, the original site of Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Bridge (Harlem River)</span> Bridge in New York City

The Washington Bridge is a 2,375-foot (724 m)-long arch bridge over the Harlem River in New York City between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. The crossing, opened in 1888, connects 181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights, Manhattan, with University Avenue in Morris Heights, Bronx. It carries six lanes of traffic, as well as sidewalks on both sides. Ramps at either end of the bridge connect to the Trans-Manhattan Expressway and the Cross Bronx Expressway, and serves as a connector/highway to the highway itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient Roman engineering</span> Engineering accomplishments of the ancient Roman civilization

The ancient Romans were famous for their advanced engineering accomplishments. Technology for bringing running water into cities was developed in the east, but transformed by the Romans into a technology inconceivable in Greece. The architecture used in Rome was strongly influenced by Greek and Etruscan sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunnel of Eupalinos</span> UNESCO World Heritage Site in Greece

The Tunnel of Eupalinos or Eupalinian aqueduct is a tunnel of 1,036 m (3,399 ft) length running through Mount Kastro in Samos, Greece, built in the 6th century BC to serve as an aqueduct. The tunnel is the second known tunnel in history which was excavated from both ends, and the first with a geometry-based approach in doing so. Today it is a popular tourist attraction. The tunnel is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the nearby Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos, and it was designated as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Wall Tunnel</span> Tunnel in Jerusalem

The Western Wall Tunnel is a tunnel exposing the Western Wall slightly north from where the traditional, open-air prayer site ends and up to the Wall's northern end. Most of the tunnel is in continuation of the open-air Western Wall and is located under buildings of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 metres (200 ft) long, the majority of its original length of 488 metres (1,601 ft) is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to the remainder of the Wall in a northerly direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqueduct of Valens</span> Roman aqueduct system located in the Republic of Turkey

The AqueductofValens was a Roman aqueduct system built in the late 4th century AD, to supply Constantinople – the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Construction of the aqueduct began during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantius II and was completed in 373 by the Emperor Valens. The aqueduct remained in use for many centuries. It was extended and maintained by the Byzantines and the Ottomans.

The Inca aqueducts refer to any of a series of aqueducts built by the Inca people. The Inca built such structures to increase arable land and provide drinking water and baths to the population. Due to water scarcity in the Andean region, advanced water management was necessary for the Inca to thrive and expand along much of the coast of Peru. Such structures, some of which survive today, show the advanced hydraulic and civil engineering capabilities of the Inca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bramhope Tunnel</span> Railway tunnel in West Yorkshire, England

Bramhope Tunnel is on the Harrogate Line between Horsforth station and the Arthington Viaduct in West Yorkshire, England. Services through the railway tunnel are operated mainly by Northern. The tunnel was constructed during 1845–1849 by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway. It is notable for its 2.138-mile (3.441 km) length and its Grade II listed, crenellated north portal. The deaths of 24 men who were killed during its construction are commemorated in Otley churchyard by a monument that is a replica of the tunnel's north portal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqueduct (water supply)</span> Structure constructed to convey water

An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away. In modern engineering, the term aqueduct is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. The term aqueduct also often refers specifically to a bridge carrying an artificial watercourse. Aqueducts were used in ancient Greece, the ancient Near East, ancient Rome, ancient Aztec, and ancient Inca. The simplest aqueducts are small ditches cut into the earth. Much larger channels may be used in modern aqueducts. Aqueducts sometimes run for some or all of their path through tunnels constructed underground. Modern aqueducts may also use pipelines. Historically, agricultural societies have constructed aqueducts to irrigate crops and supply large cities with drinking water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aekuni Shrine</span> Shinto shrine in Iga, Mie, Japan

Aekuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Iga, Mie Prefecture, Japan. It is the Ichinomiya of the former Iga Province and claims to have been founded in the seventh century. It is classified as a Beppo Shrine by the Association of Shinto Shrines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnley Embankment</span> Waterway in the United Kingdom

The Burnley Embankment is an embankment carrying the Leeds and Liverpool Canal across the Calder and Brun valleys in Burnley, Lancashire. Also known as the Straight Mile, the embankment is 1,256 yards long and the canal runs up to 60 feet (18 m) above the valley floor. The structure was chosen as one of the original Seven Wonders of the Waterways, and has been awarded a Red Wheel by the Transport Trust.

References

Footnotes

  1. Koga, 2003:108-112.
  2. Koga, 1994:170-171.
  3. Koga, 1994:130-136.
  4. Koga, 2003:48].
  5. Koga, 2003:2-87.