Ryusendo Cave, one of Japan's three largest limestone caves, is a natural adventure spot! [Iwate Prefecture]

a massive limestone cave located in Iwaizumi Town, Shimohei District, Iwate PrefectureRyusendo Cave,Are you familiar with

It is one of Japan's most famous limestone caves, a huge cave whose entire structure has yet to be fully elucidated. This time, we visited this mysterious power spot that will excite even adults!

---

What is Ryusendo Cave?

Ryusendo Cave isabout two hours by car from Morioka Citya limestone cave located in the eastern part of Mt. Ureira in Iwaizumi Town, Shimohei District, Iwate Prefecture,Iwaizumi Wakkutsu Cave. It is also known as

The total lengthhas been confirmed to be 4,088m, and it is predicted to be over 5,000m, but this is only a prediction. The difference in elevation between the top and bottomthe fifth largest among caves in Japanwhich is said to be

in Mine City, Yamaguchi PrefectureAkiyoshido Cavein Kami City, Kochi Prefecture,Ryugado CaveAlong with"Three Great Limestone Caves of Japan."it is counted as one of the

Inside, you can see a variety of sights created by the cave, including icicles, cave coral, stalagmites, rimstone, flowstone, and stone pillars

---

The spring water has been selected as one of Japan's 100 best waters

Furthermore, as its name suggests (Ryusendo Cave is also known as Iwaizumi Yukutsu), a large amount of water gushes out, andeight underground lakeshas been confirmed. (Currently, only three of these underground lakes are open to the public.)

a water volume exceeding 17,000 cubic meters per day, this slightly alkaline water, rich in calcium"Japan's 100 Best Waters"and is used not only as tap water in Iwaizumi Town but also as a commercial mineral water.

I envy the people of Iwaizumi Town for being able to drink tap water from one of Japan's 100 famous water sources!

---

Is Ryusendo Cave famous for bats?

Ryusendo Cave is also designated as a natural monument. Its registered name is"Iwaizumi Wakkutsu Cave and Bats." Both the cave and the bats are registered as natural monuments.

Actually, only about 700 meters of the entire Ryusendo Cave is currently open to the public, with the rest being undeveloped or under investigation. Within that section"bat caves,"where five species of bats have been confirmed: the greater horseshoe bat, the lesser horseshoe bat, the white-spotted bat, the long-eared bat, and the long-nosed bat.

Among them, the long-earedrabbit batwith its complex nose structurethe horseshoe batwith its light brown undersidehorseshoe batare said to be scientifically valuable species.

---

Is the power spot "Ryusendo Cave" a sacred place for lovers?

has longvisitors to Ryusendo Cave will have their "third eye opened, allowing them to see the truth of things,"been believed thatthey will be able to "break through their current situation and move on to a new stage."Therefore,"success in competitions, career, and health." The idea of ​​a "third eye" is quite amazing...

However, in recent years, it"Lover's Sanctuary", after being selected as aa power spot for finding loveProfit Organization."

When I first heard about it, I wondered why, but the reason wasn't explained in detail, so I decided to look into what I thought might be the reason

---

Does it look like a heart? The existence of the Moon Palace

located right inside the entranceThe "Moon Palace,", is said to be a popular photo spot for couples because when viewed from the back on the way out, it looks like a slightly slanted heart shape.

---

Is this cold water Hyakkoi Water?

In the local dialect, cold water is called"hyakkoi mizu," so the water"Hyakkoi mizu" (meaning "hundred loves' water") or "Hatsukoi mizu" (meaning "first love's water")is affectionately known as

"First Love" is fine, but I think "One Hundred Loves" is too full of love and might not be so good... but that's just my personal opinion

---

The existence of O-holes and Me-holes

There are many old legends about Ryusendo Cave, and one of themthe O-hole and Me-holeis the story of

In the past, the entrance to Ryusendo Cave was different from the present daythe Shimizu River Myojindeity was enshrined there. It is said that there were two rock holes in the cliff face called "O-ana" and "Me-ana." A story goes that young men and women praying for the fulfillment of their love would secretly visit the deity, and then the man would throw a small stone into Me-ana and the woman into O-ana to tell their fortune in love.

---

Does the Third Underground Lake look heart-shaped?

The third underground lake inside the cave. Apparently, itappears heart-shaped depending on the angle of the LED lighting.

...This might be a bit harsh

To add one more point, the water in Ryusendo Cave"water that brings fertility and children."was apparently praised as

Some of the reasons were a little questionable, but I think it's these reasons combined that led to it being selected as a "sacred place for lovers"!

---

Highlights of Ryusendo Cave

Inside Ryusendo Cave, there is of course the underground lake, but there are also many other attractions. This time, we will introduce the highlights along the sightseeing course route

---

Once you pass through the air curtain at the entrance, you'll hear the roar of the river! The Hyakken Corridor will tickle your sense of adventure

The first thing you see when you enter the cave is an air curtain that blocks strong winds. The details are unknown, but it is likely intended to maintain the environment inside the cave by blocking air circulation with the outside

Even from outside the cave, you can hear the roaring sound of a river, as if you were standing by a large stream, once you enter the cave.water springs up from within the cave, creating a river inside.

Walking along the well-maintained footing, sometimes directly above the river and sometimes along the riverside, mysteriously stimulates your sense of adventure and makes you feel excited. It's as if you're at an attraction in a certain theme park in Chiba Prefecture

As you proceed further in, the passageway gradually becomes straighter, and then the terrain changes to one that looks like it's split high up towards the ceiling. This isHyakkenroka (Hundred-Ken Corridor), and there is a legend that a dragon once passed through here, creating this long, narrow path.

---

The wide open space of the Moon Palace makes you feel like you're on the moon

because it evokes images of the lunar surface, like something out of a movie or novelthe Moon PalaceIt's called

Here you can see stalactites of various shapes that have been formed over a long period of time, including rocks with unique names based on their appearance, such as Venus Cave, Silent Waterfall, Kameiwa Rock, and Jizo Rock

---

Beautiful but a little scary? Three mysterious underground lakes

Once you leave the Moon Palace and follow the route, the three underground lakes will finally come into view

First,the first underground lake is 35 meters deep. Ryusendo Cave has long been known as a cave from which a large amount of water gushes out, but perhaps out of awe, internal investigations were not carried out until recently. Exploration began in the 1920s, and it seems that the first investigation of the first underground lake took place in 1959.

Next up isthe second underground lake. This one38 meters deepand was discovered in 1962 during a diving survey by Kenichiro Ochi.

, discovered during a diving survey in 1967.the third underground lakeThis lakeastonishing 98 meters deepis said to be

The tourist route ends here, but apparently five more underground lakes have been discovered further ahead. That's an incredible amount of water. Investigations suggest that this water collects from the forest area north of Ryusendo Cave, with acollection area of ​​43 square kilometers, andthe water reaching the lakes comes from as far away as 14 kilometers.

---

From here, it's all about stamina! Climb the stairs to the highest point on the sightseeing course

This concludes the basic sightseeing tour.two routes to returnYou can choose from

First, you will go back the way you came. It's easy because you just go back the way you came

Another option is to climb the stairs toMihara Pass,, which is quite strenuous. There's even a sign along the way that says, "If you are unable to continue due to physical or health reasons, please turn back." According to the sign,there are 165 steps to ascend and 107 steps to descend, for a total of 272 steps.

This isthe First Underground Lake Observation Decka view looking down from

, the highest point on the sightseeing routeMihara PassThis signpost is located atapproximately 35 meters above the surface of the underground lake.

---

summary

When I think of caves, I imagine exploring a narrow, dark place cautiously, but Ryusen Cave was spacious and comfortable to visit, and I was truly amazed by its scale!

I hope that in the future, as more research and maintenance progresses, the tour course will be expanded!

Incidentally, on the other side of the road is Ryusen Shindo, which was discovered during road widening work in 1967. This has been developed as a science museum, and stone tools and earthenware excavated from within the cave are on display. You can enter the museum with your ticket to Ryusen Cave, so it might be worth taking a look

INFORMATION

• Name: Ryusendo Cave
• Address: 1-1 Iwaizumi Kannari, Iwaizumi-cho, Shimohei-gun, Iwate Prefecture, 027-0501
• Phone number: 0194222566
• Official URL:http://www.iwate-ryusendo.jp/

GOOGLE MAP

---

TikTok videos

@neft_tohoku Ryusendo Cave, one of Japan's three largest limestone caves, is located in Iwaizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture. Its scale is said to extend to over 5,000m, including the unopened sections. It's a tourist spot where you can see a fantastic landscape, including an underground lake! It's also famous for its bats 🦇 #IwatePrefecture #IwaizumiTown #RyusendoCave # UndergroundLake ♬ Original Music – Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media | NEFT

---