Ao no Doumon

Legend speaks of a time before the construction of the Ao no Doumon tunnel, when people had to navigate treacherous cliffs to reach a significant local shrine. The path was perilous, and many lost their lives. During the Edo period, a Buddhist monk named Zenkai, who had committed murder in his youth, dedicated himself to creating a safe passage for worshipers to atone for his sins. Starting at the age of 49, he spent 30 years of his life manually excavating the 185-meter tunnel using only a hammer and chisel.