[Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture] Irimizu Cave is a dungeon you have to crawl through on all fours! It's full of charm that you won't find in Abukuma Cave!

Fukushima Prefecture is home to the nationally famousAbukumaCave. This time,the Abukuma Cave Systemanother cave that formsIrimizu Cave,we will introduce

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

[Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture] Abukuma Cave is one of Japan's most famous limestone caves! Experience the natural beauty created by 80 million years of time!

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/3788

Abukuma Cave, a limestone cave in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture, is known as the largest limestone cave in the Orient for its variety and number of stalactites. This natural work of art, created over the course of 80 million years, is well worth a visit. Abukuma Cave's Origins: Abukuma Cave, located within the Abukuma Kogen Chubu Prefectural Natural Park, is known, along with Irizumi Cave, as part of the Abukuma Cave System, a group of caves formed by water springing from the south of Mt. Otakine to the east. https://jp.neft.asia/archives/4738 The cave was discovered in 1969, when a dynamite explosion occurred during limestone mining...

read more

The difference between Irimizu Cave and Abukuma Cave

Like Abukuma Cave, Irimizu Cave is also open to the public as a tourist cave. However, Abukuma Cave is decorated with electric lights and has been designed to be easy to walk through, making it very tourist-friendly

On the other hand,Irizumi Limestone Cave is in a completely natural state. There are no fancy lights or anything like that; only a single faintly glowing rope, like the ones you'd find at a construction site, runs through it.

If you don't bring any light, it will be pitch black.The ground is rough and uneven, the water comes up to your knees, and water drips from above. Once you go in, you'll be completely soaked.

Irimizu Cave offers an adventure that is truly like conquering a dungeon, with a high level of awareness

Preparations required for entering the cave

As mentioned above, you will get wet when you enter the cave. Therefore, you need to wear clothes that you don't mind getting wet. Of course, you should also bring a change of clothes

Because it is a limestone cave, it is generally wet and slippery everywhere, so you need to wear shoes that are ok to get wet and have smooth soles that won't slip

Inside the cave, the ceiling is extremely low, and there are points where even children have to crawl on all fours to get through. It's pitch black without any light, soa headlampwill be very useful.

Having these preparations will give you peace of mind, buteven if you go empty-handed, you can rent sandals to use as shoes and candles to use as lights at the reception.

Three courses of Irimizu Cave

There are three courses available at Irimizu Cave. Although the courses are divided, they do not necessarily follow different routes

• Course AThose onCourse Bshould go to the entrance of
• Course BThose takingCourse C.should make a U-turn at the entrance to
• Course Cinvolvescourses A and B, then entering course C, going all the way to the end, and returning.

"how far you want to go, the course is divided based on

Course A

Course A (550 yen for adults, 450 yen for elementary and junior high school students) is easy to go. You won't get too wet, and it's not too dark. The path is relatively wide, and there are only a few welcome rugged slopes to descend

You can easily go there without all the preparations mentioned above. The ground is paved with rubber sheets and iron plates, so it's easy to walk on

Course B

From Course B (700 yen for adults, 500 yen for elementary and junior high school students), the adventure begins. The temperature inside the cave is a chilly 14 degrees all year round, and the water is piercingly cold, reaching up to your calves (or knees on some days)

If you choose course B or higher, you will receive instructions at the reception desk.The coldness of the wateris among them. It's more of advice than a warning, saying, "It's cold at first, but you'll get used to it after a while."

It's true that at first it's so cold that it makes your head numb. Women and children may scream and cry. But eventually, you start to lose sense of numbness, and it becomes clear that your head is really numb

Many people are discouraged by the initial coldness and darkness inside the cave and turn back, but once you get over that, you will gradually get used to it

Candles double the thrill

Light is a necessity from Course B onwards. If you are not prepared, you will have to rely on the candles provided at the reception. However, since they are candles, there is a risk that they may go out if water drips on them from above

If it disappears, you will suddenly find yourself in complete darkness and may panic because you will not know which way to go. Furthermore, since it is a one-way road, there will of course be people going there and coming back

The road is extremely narrow, so when passing someone, you worry about getting the candle on their clothes. If the other person is holding a candle, you get nervous too

Candles create a great atmosphere, but they do come with the risks mentioned above. If you're going for the first time or don't mind a less adventurous trip, we recommend bringing a headlamp or a clip light (sold at 100 yen shops) that will allow you to keep your arms and legs free

Insects and bats bring different fears

Inside the cave, you can find disgusting insects with lots of legs, such as millipedes, crab bugs, cockroaches, and springtails. Bats also live here

If you are intolerant of insects or bats, you should be prepared not to panic if you see one or one flies towards you

Course C

From Course C (adults: 4,600 yen for up to 5 people), a guide will be provided. This is because the roads are darker and narrower, and tourists may feel uneasy walking alone. The guides will be local high school students

Upon completion,a "Course C Completion Certificate"and a hot spring ticket. There is a hot spring nearby where you can warm up your body in the cold water.

What course do you recommend?

Course A is not particularly thrilling and is more of a tourist cave, not much different from Abukuma Cave. If you want to fully enjoy the charm of Irimizu Cave, then Course B or higher is the way to go

If you have small children, it is safer to choose Course B. Course C takes about 90 minutes to be served

If you are confident in your physical strength and determination, try Course C. However, because a guide is provided, you may not be able to choose this option in some cases

It's best to make a reservation in advance

Summary of Irimizu Cave

This time we have introduced the Irimizu Cave, a thrilling cave that is different from ordinary tourist caves

The cave is not just cold, dark, and scary;the "30 Soundscapes of Utsukushimawhich has been selected asthe "Fudo Falls,"which looks exactly like athe "Pumpkin Rock,"and two"womb passages".

This is a spot where you can experience the thrill of an adventure packed with fear and fun. Many men hit their heads, so be sure to wear a hat and muster up your courage to take part

Irimizu Cave <Information>

• Name: Irimizu Cave
• Address: 89-3 Sugaya Dairoku, Takine-cho, Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture, 963-3601
• Phone number: 0247-78-3393
• Official URL:https://www.irimizu.com/

Google Map

Editorial staff

I'm a member of the Neft editorial team. I love alcohol, music, and travel, and on weekdays I indulge in drinks after work, and on weekends I travel to nearby places whenever I have free time.
My goal is to one day travel abroad to explore connections with Tohoku for a Neft feature! I work hard every day towards that goal.