Tokyo Tunnels
Comments: 16
Here’s a story with all the makings of a great yarn — chance finds in old bookstores, discrepancies among maps, subterranean networks, blacklists and a wall of silence. Shun Akiba believes he has evidence of almost 2,000 km of secret tunnels beneath Tokyo. His book Teito Tokyo Kakusareta Chikamono Himitsu (“Imperial City Tokyo: Secret of a Hidden Underground Network”) published last year is now in its fifth printing.
Seven riddles suggest a secret city beneath Tokyo
By Angela Jeffs, The Japan TimesShun claims to have uncovered a secret code that links a complex network of tunnels unknown to the general public. “Every city with a historic subterranean transport system has secrets,” he says. “In London, for example, some lines are near the surface and others very deep, for no obvious reason.”
Sitting on the Ginza subway from Suehirocho to Kanda, he says, you can see many mysterious tunnels leading off from the main track. “No such routes are shown on maps.” Traveling from Kasumigaseki to Kokkai-gijidomae, there is a line off to the left that is not shown on any map. Nor is it indicated in subway construction records.
At Tameike-sanno on the Ginza Line, the first basement level is closed off, for official use only. “Go to the toilet on B2 and there is a door to B1, but locked.”
Also he investigates three large buildings in Hibiya that share an enormous underground car park. “This space was there before the buildings were independently constructed. What was it for?”
As for the Diet Library, this runs to eight floors underground, all closed to the public. A magazine that asks repeatedly to look around is always denied access.
This story appeared on one of the top-40 blog index sites, so you’ve probably seen it. It’s too good to pass up just in case you haven’t, and I wanted to include it as a reminder for myself later.
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Posted to General Rants • 2003.03.05 (Wed) • 11:48
Comments
Posted by Richie 2003.03.05, 12:49
Cool. Sounds like something straight from an anime like Jin-Roh, although most scenes from that anime and others involving underground tunnels seem to be sewers rather than secret gov’t passages. Images of human-sized killer Aibos, Lattes and Macrons, Macross-like mecha, and esupa kids float in my mind.
Posted by Josh 2003.03.05, 13:43
Well that got my curiosity flowing. I hate all this stuff, where it’s suggestive with evidence, but there’s nothing conclusive. Makes me want to do some urban exploring in Tokyo.
Posted by jh 2003.03.05, 23:01
Fascinating, isn’t it? And a big attraction is its very inconclusiveness. I’m tempted to contact Mr. Akiba and try to find out more about this. First stop will be picking up a copy of his book (which I didn’t have time to do today).
Posted by Andrew 2003.03.07, 12:59
I always figured that the the tunnel system under Tokyo was a lot bigger than could be seen during normal commuting. A couple of years ago a friend of mine and her daughter were travelling on the subways. The daughter was injured and had to be taken to hospital. It appears that the route taken (a back way, that according to my friend was quite circuitous, but did lead to an elevator in the end) was comprised of old tunnels with old lighting etc. She was quite amazed. I am not sure which station they were in, when the emergency happened but it shouldn’t be too difficult to find out.
Also, Ueno station, particularly towards the Hibiya line section has enormously wide tunnels with a very military look about them. In fact, they appear to be roads that have been converted into subway space for pedestrian access. I noticed that some of these tunnels connect with “normal size” tunnels and others intersect with “road-like” tunnels. I thought that part of the station might have been converted from military use or something previously.
Posted by riccard0 2003.03.09, 23:44
In one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels (You Only Live Twice) the japanese secret service chief had a personal underground train to move beneath Tokyo. Since Fleming too was an intelligence officer and traveled in Japan, maybe this little bit was more than fiction…
Posted by riccard0 2003.03.09, 23:45
In one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels (You Only Live Twice) the japanese secret service chief had a personal underground train to move beneath Tokyo. Since Fleming too was an intelligence officer and traveled in Japan, maybe this little bit was more than fiction…
Posted by mf 2003.03.10, 04:56
Not to butt-in here… but…
To me it’s rather obvious that this is quite possible. During WW2 the Japanese were masters of building enormous underground bunker complexes on remote islands. It’s logical to conclude that there’s almost no limit to what would be possible on their home territory. On a more grim subject, it also seems possible to me that one of the reasons these tunnel networks are virtually unknown by the locals is that the government at the time would have had few qualms about using slave labor (Chinese or Koreans most likely imported secretly from the occupied territories) who were then executed to keep them silent. This would be yet another motive for even the current authorities to want to remain silent on the topic.
Posted by Anonymous 2003.03.10, 22:15
OHH MORE AND MORE CONSPIRACIES! oh! maybe theres some nano-tech Akira thing going on? or maybe theres a secret bunkers for when North korea goes awol, or maybe the construction workers got too enthusastic about building tunnels.,…..? Josh’s comment on ‘exploring’ triggered a memory i have about a team of Urban Explorers. In the U.S- there are several ‘groups’ clubs (whatever) that special in ‘exploring buildings and other ‘usually’ off-limnit areas..its truely amazing what you can find if you look… http://www.forgottenoh.com/Junk/washpost.html http://www.urbanexplorers.net/
Posted by frazer 2003.03.10, 22:15
OHH MORE AND MORE CONSPIRACIES! oh! maybe theres some nano-tech Akira thing going on? or maybe theres a secret bunkers for when North korea goes awol, or maybe the construction workers got too enthusastic about building tunnels.,…..? Josh’s comment on ‘exploring’ triggered a memory i have about a team of Urban Explorers. In the U.S- there are several ‘groups’ clubs (whatever) that special in ‘exploring buildings and other ‘usually’ off-limnit areas..its truely amazing what you can find if you look… http://www.forgottenoh.com/Junk/washpost.html http://www.urbanexplorers.net/
Posted by BlndCat 2003.03.12, 23:42
Shun says:
“In London, for example, some lines are near the surface and others very deep, for no obvious reason.”
Actually there is a reason, the main reason is that there are two different station/tunnel creation techniques. Deep Level & Cut and Cover. If you are interested in this topic you can find more information at this web site
http://www.starfury.demon.co.uk/uground/
where it explores disused stations on the London Underground system. And as a side note, even though Cut and Cover seems to be the older technique, I think it is the one being used in Fukuoka with its underground extensions.
Posted by mf 2003.03.13, 03:37
Posted by Paul 2003.04.25, 23:50
So did you manage to read this book? Ian and Jim and I were wanting to give it a good look. Are you in?
Posted by Callum 2004.12.23, 08:56
http://www.g-cans.jp/photo/index.html - hmmm? These are sewers btw, collect rainfall etc. apparently
AKKKIIIIIRAA!!! sorry, couldn’t help myself. So, who wants to do some urban exploring in Tokyo - we could meet up somewhere, 10 of us - high jinx, a blog… video footage and lashings of ginger ale! -Callum Alden.
Posted by agag 2005.03.27, 09:12
I have heard a lot about this and wonder why shun thinks there’s a city underground? I would just think that some weird tunnels doesent justify a underground city.
Posted by bob 2005.06.20, 20:57
Does anyone know if this has been translated into english yet? or what the ISBN number might be?
Posted by john 2005.07.19, 04:08
I’m very intrested for a G-Cans tunels visit. How about organized tour or… not? in August…
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