Last updated: December 14, 2025
Officially known at Mukogawa Gorge (武庫川渓谷), this is a gentle, family-oriented afternoon stroll along the old, abandoned JR Fukuchiyama Line railway tracks. There are several dark, creepy tunnels to pass through, so a headlamp or flashlight is imperative.
The hike: When you exit the train at Namaze station, go out the ticket gate, turn right, and head down the main road (with a Co-op Mini supermarket on your left) through the small tunnel. After the tunnel the road curves towards the right and meets a busy main road. Turn left, staying on the left shoulder of the really busy road on the narrow sidewalk. Head straight toward a big tunnel, but instead of going through the road tunnel, head through the pedestrian-only tunnel on your left. This tunnel will spit you out into the main tunnel shortly, so head left and walk through the noisy and busy tunnel. After the tunnel, follow the sidewalk along a huge transparent wall that separates you from the busy road. Follow this main road for about 10 minutes until reaching a large freeway overpass. Walk under the huge expressway overpass and take your first right. There’s a crosswalk here but no traffic light, so hopefully a car will stop and let you cross. Otherwise it might be a bit like playing the old video game Frogger. Cross the street and head toward the left for a short distance and then take your first right down a paved road that has some curvy switchbacks. There are no signposts so it’s very easy to get lost, but make sure you are descending towards the river. At the end of the paved road turn left and follow the dirt road that will eventually turn into a proper hiking trail. The path follows the left bank of the river most of the way, and if you look down you can still see the wooden railway ties in place, but the rails have been removed. Also, keep your eyes peeled on the left side of the path and you can see old railway signs from time to time. Anyway, you’ll soon come to a metal lookout point on your right. Climb the metal stairs and take in the scenery. From here the trail continues upstream for about 15 minutes until reaching the entrance for the first tunnel. This is a good warm-up of what to expect for most of the way, and if you let your eyes adjust to the dark, then a flashlight is not necessary in this first tunnel. After the first tunnel, the trail becomes a bit wild in the summer, with lots of overgrown foliage and the rhythmic pattern of half-buried wooden railroad ties. The river scenery on your right is nice, but to be honest would be a hundred times nicer if the river weren’t so polluted. There’s a factory upstream that is dumping some questionable waste into the river. Even if you could get down to the river bank, I would not swim here. Anyway, soon you’ll reach the second tunnel, which is one of the longest and scariest on the entire route. Due to the bend in the tunnel, a flashlight is absolutely necessary. If you suffer from claustrophobia then perhaps this is one hike to miss. If you’ve brought your kids then they’ll have a blast running through the tunnels playing hide and seek. Be careful of water dripping from the ceiling of the aging tunnels, as it can get muddy in places. After coming out of the the tunnel, you’ll soon pass through a really short tunnel that is only about 5 meters long. There are benches at some of the tunnel entrances if you feel the need for a break. Otherwise, just keep walking on the flat trail admiring the river scenery. The next tunnel will come in about 20 minutes or so, and ends at the base of a stunning railroad bridge that has been renovated. Immediately after crossing the bridge you’ll duck into another tunnel before popping out and following the right bank of the river (with the river on your left). Here the scenery resembles more of a walk in the park than a mountain stroll, and in the spring the cherry blossoms are a site to behold. You’ll soon reach your first signpost of the day, pointing towards Takedao (武田尾), which is still 1.6km away. After 5 minutes you’ll pass a lion carving on your right with a stone stairwell that leads to a forest filled with cherry blossoms. Feel free to explore it if you’ve got extra time. Otherwise, continue straight on through a short tunnel that is still completely made of brick. Just past the tunnel you’ll see a trail on your left that leads to a plaza and offers access to the river bank (again, don’t let your kids play in the filthy water). Soon after, you’ll pass through a final tunnel made of brick before reaching the end of the hike. Cross the bridge and you’ll see a new restaurant right in front of you. Turn right and then left, following the main road (past an ice cream shop that may or may not be open) for about 15 minutes to Takedao station(武田尾) on your right. If you’re keen for a hot spring bath, then instead of going to the station, continue walking along the river for another 15 minutes or so, and you’ll reach Takedao Onsen which usually allows day trippers access to their baths. The entire facility was rebuilt after experiencing a major flood.
All in all is a 2 to 3 hour hike depending on how many breaks you take.
When to go: This hike can easily be done year round. Make sure you bring a flashlight or headlamp, because two of the tunnels are impossible to traverse without one. If you’re there on a weekend you could rely on other groups, but during the week do not expect much other foot traffic. There is a very cool art event every September which uses some of the tunnels near Takedao station as a canvas for a giant art and music project. It’s highly recommended, and can be combined with a hike of the tunnels if you time it correctly. Search for Takedao Art Tunnel Event on Facebook and check out these photos from the 2013 event.
Access: From Osaka station, take train on the JR Fukuchiyama Line bound for Shin-sanda (新三田) and get off at Namaze (生瀬) station. A local train takes about 40 minutes, so if you want to save time, then take a rapid (kaisoku) train to either Kawanishi-Ikeda (川西池田) or Takarazuka (宝塚) stations, and change to the local train there. The return train is just two stops further north from Namaze, so take a local train all the way back to Osaka or again change to a rapid at Takrazuka or Kawanishi-Ikeda if you’re pressed for time.
Level of difficulty: 1 out of 5 (elevation change 〜100m)
Distance: 7km ( 2 to 3 hours)
Hiking in Japan 