A limestone cave, Akiyoshi Cave, located in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is one of the largest tourist caves in the Orient. Akiyoshidai is a land of limestone formed over 300 million years. Akiyoshido Cave, which is considered to have the largest space in Japan, is spreading in the underground space of Akiyoshidai. The official name is “Akiyoshido Cave”, but the local people are sometimes called “Shuhodo Cave”. Akihoshido Cave is a huge cave whose size is still unknown. Recently there was news that a new cave was found.
In July 2017, Yamaguchi University’s exploration team found a new huge space in the cave. As a result, the total length of the limestone cave exceeded 10 km, and it became the second largest nationwide in terms of not only the space but also the length of the limestone cave. Of course, the space inside the limestone cave discovered by this exploration is only one of the undiscovered. It is thought that there is still unknown space in the limestone cave. The limestone cave exploration team is still investigating and exploring new spaces.
The charm of Akiyoshido Cave, the limestone cave that spreads out beneath Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park, is a mysterious landscape that has been completed over many years by the invasion of groundwater by limestone. The temperature inside the cave is about 17 degrees throughout the year, so it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The sightseeing course is about 1km, and you can get a great impression on the mysterious natural form that time has stopped inside the cave. Perfect for sightseeing as well as dating.
At the entrance of Akiyoshido Cave, there is an emerald green pond with high transparency, and you can go into the cave while watching it. Because it is filtered with limestone and stalactite, it is very transparent, making it feel mysterious and cool.
“Hyakumai-zara” (100 pieces of plates) is the first and most famous attraction in the limestone cave. This is the first highlight that appears inside the limestone cave. A mysterious sight that literally stacks dishes. Illuminated and fantastic atmosphere.
There are many mysteriously shaped stalactites in the limestone cave. The water dripping from the top contains a large amount of calcium, and it forms a mysterious shape because it piles up while cutting rocks. Some of them are called “Godzilla rock” and are loved by the people of Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Access to Akiyoshido Cave is about 45 minutes by bus from Shin Yamaguchi Station on the Japan Railway Sanyo Shinkansen. If you go by car, it takes about 15 minutes from the Mine IC on the Chugoku Expressway. Or if you use the Akiyoshidai IC from Mine East IC via Ogoorihagi road, you will get off in about 5 minutes. If you go to Yamaguchi by airplane, you can get to Ube Airport in about an hour by car.
Akiyoshido Cave where you can enjoy the mystery of nature. If you are traveling in the direction of Yamaguchi, we recommend that you stop by. There are several other limestone caves on Akiyoshidai.
The largest scale cave in Japan
“Akiyoshido” in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture is one of Japan ‘s three major limestone caves, and it is the largest scale cave in Japan. It is a limestone cave located 100 meters to 200 meters underground of the Karst plateau “Akiyoshidai” spreading east of Mine City. About 1 kilometer sightseeing road is open for general tourism, boasting the largest scale in Japan as a limestone cave. It is located in Akiyoshidai Quasi-national Park and is designated as a special natural treasure of the country.
Akiyoshido has long been popular with locals as “Takiana” (hole of the fall). Since
Akiyoshido has an entrance height of 20 meters, a width of 8 meters, and the length of the whole cave is over 10 kilometers. The inside of the cave is about 40 meters wide, the ceiling height is about 15 meters, the length you can observe is about 1,000 meters. It is divided into two, main cave and branch cave, branch cave is open for sightseeing, the back of main cave is submerged. Many of the stalactites that you can see in Akiyoshido are as beautiful as sculptures. Each is given a name associated with the shape, among them “Hyakumai-zara” (100 plates) and “Kogane-bashira” (golden pillar) are also famous worldwide. “Hyakumai-zara” has a limestone like a staircase, “Kogane-bashira” is a huge limestone column with a height of 15 meters, it is also a symbol of Akiyoshido.
The largest karst plateau in Japan
Akiyoshidai, where spreads out in the eastern part in Mine-shi, Yamaguchi, is one of the largest karst plateaus in Japan, and stalactite caves can be seen in various places of it.
The largest of its kind in the Orient
The Akiyoshido, which spread out under the Akiyoshidai exposing white limestone, is regarded the largest of its kind in the Orient. It is said that the total extension of it is more than 10 km, and the main cave being just like underground palace and Kurotani-shido (sub cave) is open to the public.
The sightseeing course is 1 km
The sightseeing course is 1 km, but you can take a walk without getting tired because the atmosphere that stalactite and the stalagmite is expressed variously.
There is a lot of highlight
Inside of the cave in which the temperature is always around 17 degrees celsius, there is a lot of highlight like “Hyakumai-zara” (“100 pieces of plates”) which seemed to look like several pieces of plates, “Kogane-bashira” (“gold pillar”) which is a huge stalactite pillar for 15m in height, “Kasa-zukushi” (“full of umbrellas”), “Ao-tenjo” (“Blue ceiling”), “Gohyaku Rakan” (“the Five Hundred Disciples of the Buddha”).
Special Natural Monument
Many stalactite caves are designated Natural Monument, among them; only Akiyoshido has been appointed to “Special Natural Monument”, and protected by the Cultural Properties Protection Law.
It is the mysterious space where you will forget you are in the real world.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
| Name: | Akiyoshido (Akiyoshi Stalactite Cave) |
| Adresse: | Shuhochoakiyoshi Mine, Yamaguchi 754-0511 Japan |
| Access: | JR Sanyo-shikansen Line “Shinyamaguchi-eki Station” (45 minutes by Bus) |
| Tel: | (+81) 837-62-0304 (Mine Municipal Tourism Department) |
| Price/Charge: | 1,300 yen (Adult) 1,300 yen (High School) 1,050 yen (Jr. High) 700 yen (Elementary) Please refer this web page. |
| Official site: | http://www2.city.mine.lg.jp/ |
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