Many people have contributed to the lives of people in Higashihiroshima City. There are stone monuments and stories of their work in some areas.
Here, we will study Mr. Kaichi Okita, who made Nakanotao Tunnel, located in Saijo Cho Goso near Gota Elementary School, and helped improve people’s lives.
Zuido is a tunnel (Nakanotao Zuido is a tunnel where water flows).
 



Village suffering from lack of water
Rice has been cultivated in Kashobara District since old times. People get a good harvest every year. However, they used to suffer from dry weather once every four years.　As there was no river nearby, reservoirs dried up, killing rice plants (drought).
In Kashobara District, there was a big, 10-hectare reservoir (100,000 m2, about the size of 10 school grounds), and people used to draw water from it to water their paddy fields. Kashobara District had plenty of water as long as Fukado Pond was full. However, because the mountains around Fukado Pond were small, very little water flowed into the pond. People depended on rainwater, and it took them more than two years to fill the pond once they used up the water. The lack of water was a big concern for farmers in Kashobara.



Digging a tunnel
People had already thought about drawing water from the Kotayamagawa River to Fukado Pond and keeping it full at all times to prevent drought (around 1909).　However, a rocky mountain stood between the Kotayamagawa River and Fukado Pond, and a 327 m tunnel had to be dug through it to draw water.　People in Kashobara thought it impossible and had given up.




Although he was determined to dig a tunnel through the rocky mountain, Mr. Okita was opposed by people who thought it impossible and burdensome.
However, the village mayor and his friends, who knew about his risky decision, explained repeatedly the need to dig a tunnel. Finally, Mr. Okita was allowed to do the work under strict conditions.
On March 25, 1927, Mr. Okita started the work alone. He built a hut nearby and dug the tunnel every day from early morning when stars could still be seen to late evening when the moon cast shadows.
He dug from the northern side in the summer to avoid the heat, and from the warm southern side in the winter. He patiently crushed hard rocks using a hammer and chisel.
In the spring of 1928, a year after he started the work, the tunnel reached 2m. He was brought to tears when he saw the tunnel he had dug.
 
Difficult promises made to the villagers
They would not pay any money needed for the work.
If he stopped the work halfway, he must return the tunnel back to its original state and pay money for the damaged parts.
 




He had dug over 30 m by 1929. Seeing Mr. Okita’s serious attitude, and considering their need for water, people decided to help him. They called stonemasons and used dynamite. The work progressed rapidly. Mr. Okita turned to help them, and they worked very hard together.
 
Water flows to Fukado Pond
On August 15, 1930, Nakanotao Tunnel was finally completed. People who had opposed Mr. Okita at the beginning were ashamed and praised him as the “Zenkai of the Showa Period.”
Mr. Okita then started to work on widening the road leading to Gota Elementary School. However, he passed away in May 1939 at the age of 66.
Thanks to Nakanotao Tunnel, Fukado Pond was always filled with water. People in Kashobara were very grateful to Mr. Okita. They built a stone monument for him and made a Bon Dance song about him to commemorate his achievement.