Four Itchy Feet

September 30, 2025. Tōkamachi, Japan.

Today we drove to Tōkamachi in the Niigata Prefecture. Tōkamachi’s main attraction is skiing, as it receives the heaviest snowfall of the entire main island of Japan. Because of this, there are ski slopes everywhere. We decided to venture a bit into the mountains in search of natural beauty, and we found it!

Our first stop was the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel. This 750-meter-long pedestrian tunnel, often called the Tunnel of Light, offers safe and breathtaking views of the Kiyotsu Gorge, which is recognized as one of Japan’s “Three Great Gorges.”

The Kiyotsu Gorge is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. It features dramatic columnar jointing—a geological phenomenon where magma cooled and contracted to form striking hexagonal rock pillars that line the sheer, V-shaped cliffs carved by the Kiyotsu River.

Originally constructed in 1996 to replace a dangerous climbing path, the tunnel was dramatically revitalized as an art installation for the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale by the Chinese architectural firm MAD Architects (led by Ma Yansong). The design, called the “Tunnel of Light,” draws inspiration from the five elements of nature—wood, earth, metal, fire, and water—transforming the passageway into an immersive sensory journey.

Periscope (Wood): Located at the entrance facility, this features a wooden-interior hot-spring foot bath with a circular opening in the ceiling. Mirrored lenses reflect the surrounding nature down onto those bathing. In our excitement, we skipped this area entirely.

Expression of Color (Earth): The tunnel’s passageways are illuminated with different colored lights and accompanied by atmospheric music, setting a dynamic mood for the walk.

Invisible Bubble (Metal): A viewing platform featuring a capsule-like structure that houses a public toilet. Its reflective silver exterior and one-way mirror wall facing the gorge offer a private view outward.

The Drop (Fire): Convex, droplet-like mirrors are scattered along a lookout point and backlit with warm, fiery-red light, creating distorted reflections of the outside world.

Light Cave (Water): The grand finale at the end of the tunnel, this panoramic station is lined with semi-polished stainless steel. A shallow pool of spring water covers the floor, creating a stunning mirror effect that reflects and inverts the view of the majestic gorge, cliffs, and sky, giving an “infinite illusion of nature.”

After our visit, we continued deeper into the mountains using Road 405. This road winds its way up the mountains with hairpin curves and single-lane roads, but for all the trouble, we were rewarded with wonderful views of the canyon, hikes to old bridges and waterfalls, and serene walks through rice fields. We only scratched the surface of what Tōkamachi has to offer, and it is definitely on our list of places to return to.