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All Japan Kamakura Nekonoike Tunnel
AO Edited

Nekonoike Tunnel

This unassuming tunnel’s name recalls a storied "cat pond" that has now been lost.

Kamakura, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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Where did the giant cat go?   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Where did the giant cat go?   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Nekonoike Tunnel.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Kamakura is a city of tunnels. Surrounded by low mountains and cliffs, its citizens had to dig for convenience throughout its history. Most of its tunnels are officially named, and one of them recalls an unusual legend.

Nekonoike Tunnel, which provides a passage in a suburban neighborhood in West Kamakura, seems like nothing extraordinary. But its name is a connection to a local legend—it means "cat pond," named after a nearby pond that has been lost today.

While the tunnel is the only thing that keeps the memory of this pond alive, this name happens to have a folktale behind its origin. According to the local legend, the pond was home to a shapeshifting serpent, which took the form of a giant cat and surprised a farmer by giving him a shade. The snake-cat grinned at the startled farmer and disappeared, leaving behind a pond called "cat pond."

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Local History History Pond Cats Tunnels

Know Before You Go

There is no sign on site showing the name of the tunnel. To reach it, get off the Shonan Monorail at Nishi-Kamakura station and head for Nishi-Kamakura-yama Minami Park; the tunnel you walk through on the way is the one.

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

December 24, 2024

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  • https://kamakura-mukashi.com/nekoike/
Nekonoike Tunnel
Kamakura, 248-0033
Japan
35.319298, 139.510297

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