Day tour
Season: Year-roundAkiyoshido Cave and Akiyoshidai day tour
- Walk through one of Japan’s largest limestone caves
- Many tours add Motonosumi Shrine; check whether cave entry is included
Why visit
About 350 million years ago, this area was a coral reef in a warm sea. Over time, the reef turned to limestone, was lifted up into the hills, and was slowly dissolved by rain, leaving the strange landscape of rocks and sinkholes on the plateau and the great cave below. Together they make one of the most unusual natural sights in western Japan, and an easy half day from Yamaguchi city.
Akiyoshido Cave
- The entrance: the main entrance is a huge opening at the foot of a cliff, where a clear blue stream flows out of the mountain.
- Hyakumaizara: “a hundred plates”, a terraced staircase of shallow rimstone pools.
- The Golden Pillar: a towering column of golden flowstone about 15 metres high.
- The Blue Ceiling: a huge chamber whose high roof seems to glow in the light.
The walkway is paved and lit, and an elevator at the far end connects the cave to the plateau above, so you can walk through and come out on top. Read our guide to Akiyoshido Cave and Akiyoshidai.
The plateau
From the Karst Observation Deck, paths lead out across the grassland among the rocks and sinkholes. The views are wide and open, especially in autumn, when the pampas grass turns silver and gold. Each February, the grass is burned off in a spectacular controlled fire called yamayaki.
Tips
- The cave stays at around 17°C all year: cool in summer, mild in winter.
- Shoes with a good grip help on the wet paths.
- Buses run from Shin-Yamaguchi Station and from Yamaguchi city, but they are not frequent.
- Combine the cave with Hagi, about an hour north, or with Motonosumi Shrine on a day tour.
