Tucked away in the town of Iwaizumi (岩泉) in Iwate Prefecture (岩手県) is one of the three great limestone caves of Japan, Ryusendo Cave (龍泉洞). Not the easiest spot to get to – but don’t let that scare you! Well worth the trip if you like to get off the beaten path. Second if geology fascinates you.
The Three Great Limestone Caves
Japan has a thing with different numbers (think of the 100 finest castles). Having “three great” of something is common. Especially in the specificity. This is designation isn’t about JUST caves after all. It’s LIMESTONE caves. Besides Ryusendo Cave, there are two other “great” limestone caves. Akiyoshido Cave in
Features of the cave
Estimated to stretch 5 km into the mountain, only 3,600 meters have been explored. The public can traverse a length of 700 meters. You won’t be spelunking through here – the floors have been concreted or covered with planks. A set of staircases takes you up 35 meters into the upper levels of the cave, called Mihara Pass.
Most impressive are the lakes within the cave. You’ll be able to see three of them in the public access area. The third of which is 98 (!) meters deep. They are some of the clearest waters in the world. Be amazed at the deep blue color, called “Dragon Blue”. Further, into the explored areas closed off to the public there is another. At 120 meters deep it is the deepest in Japan!
National Nature Monument
Ryusendo Cave and, specifically, the bats living inside were designated as a National Nature Moment. This occurred in 昭和13年 (Showa 13 or 1938 to the rest of us). There are five types of bats living inside the caves. I saw a few and they are quite tiny, so don’t let them scare you! They didn’t seem to come out unless there weren’t many people around.
Science Learning Cave
Officially called the ‘Ryusenshindo Science Museum”, this cave was found across the street in 昭和42年 (Showa 42 or 1967). It totes itself as the first natural cave science museum in the world. Inside they have found many old artifacts, some 11,000 years old! They’ve also found bones of various animals. Something that bothers me. If giant animals and ancient humans could find it, what stopped modern-man from noticing it for so long?
You can’t take pictures on this side but it is very interesting that it highlights different rock formation types.
How much time do I need?
Cross your fingers you don’t get stuck behind a large tour group. I kid, I kid. If nothing holds up the passes (and you don’t get distracted by the amazing views), you should be able to see the main caves in 40 minutes. The Science museum is smaller and you need about 15 minutes. Both times are as advertised at the location and time tested by me and a friend at a leisurely pace.
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Bring your walking shoes and a jacket
Make sure you bring your walking shoes! Preferably with some good grip on the bottom as the ground can be slippery. I, for one, always love my Teva sandals. Lightweight and work with dresses. Plus, they are designed as sport/water shoes and therefore super grippy. You’ll want something that is good for stair climbing as well.
The temperature inside the cave varied from 9-11 degrees while I was exploring so plan accordingly on clothing. I like to carry a lightweight rain jacket with me in my backpack at all times.
Yumi Katsura Lover’s Sanctuary
Visiting with a significant other? Don’t miss taking a picture with the two dragons outside the cave. Yumi Katsura is a famous bridal designer from Tokyo who studied couture in Paris. She wrote a book in the 1960s on bridal culture which was next to nonexistent in Japan at that time. Yes, you can thank her it seems for the bridal culture in Japan.
In 2006 she started the “Lover’s Sanctuary movement”. There are actually plenty of these “lover’s sanctuaries” around Japan, in fact, 140 of them! Dubbed ideal spots for proposing, these scenic locations are all over Japan. This is one of them! Taking a picture with them also seems to bring good luck in love.
Hungry?
There are a few restaurants on the property in case you get a bit parched from climbing all those stairs. The river running through makes for lovely scenery. If you indulged too much, there is also a nice walking path along the water.
Getting to Ryusendo Cave
The only way to get to the caves is by bus. The easiest (though not particularly short) way is from the Morioka Station. Morioka is a 133 minute trip from Tokyo on Japan’s fastest shinkansen. Once there, it’ll take a little over 2 hours. However, it is a “highway” bus so there is a toilet onboard. The driver also makes a stop along the way that you may use the facilities.
Use this link for the timetable. At Morioka, it is Bus Stop 1 and at the Caves, it is Bus Stop 2. Beware! These don’t run very often! However, if you can catch the 9:40 bus from Morioka, you’ll have plenty of time to see both caves and grab a snack and catch the 13:30 bus back to town.
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