Matsushiro Underground Imperial Headquarters — Attraction in Nagano

These were underground tunnels and headquarters that the Japanese Imperial Army dug at the end of WW2, expecting to have a prolonged war against the Allies. The 2 atomic bombs ended the war, leaving these tunnels unused. The tunnels were dug by Korean forced labourers. Many died during the construction. There is a monument at the entrance dedicated for world peace and sworn to never again starting such a war.

Not all the tunnels are open to the public. I can imagine the official will eventually open more sections once they are deemed safe. At the time of writing, we were only allowed to explore about 500m into the tunnels.

There aren't any exhibitions inside the tunnels, nor a dedicated building to explain the history. There is a Japanese guided tour, mainly to teach the younger generation of Japanese about the horror of the war. I think there is an app you can download for English self-guided tour but I didn't try. Feel free to Google it.

The last entrance is at 4:30 PM. The closest bus station Hachiju-ni Ginko-mae (松代八十二銀行前) that I can find is 10 minutes walking distance away. Plan your itinerary accordingly if you...

This is the site where the Japanese imperial army planned on moving critical infrastructure during WW2. This site was never used but it's still an interesting site to show how far the Japanese was willing to fight and how they prepared for the eventual landing of the allied forces.

The explanation in the tunnel itself is quite limited, but there's a small museum next door which is run privately that helps with some background information. Entrance fee is 200 yen per person. The museum also offers the closest parking which is free if you enter the museum. If you want to just use the parking it's 500 yen.

Bringing your own flashlight is not necessary but if you have a strong flashlight it will help you see the areas that are...

We followed the direction signs then got this historical spot (Free admission). There's an administrator sitting in front of the entrance. He told us for the safety reason, we have to put on the helmet before we go inside. After we entered into the underground cave, I saw few of hard and sharp rocks stick out at the top, we were quite close to them, that's why we need the helmet. I could not stand to the horrors of the war - over 300 people died in the cave because of they were enslaved by the...