Nekonoike Tunnel
This unassuming tunnel’s name recalls a storied “cat pond” that has now been lost.
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, is nothing extraordinary, and does not even seem to have a name. But it does, and 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.”
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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