Dragon blue Ryusendo Cave, one of Japan’s three major caves, with a world-famous underground lake with high transparency

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Hello, my name is Cindy from Taiwan. This time, I want to introduce you a famous tourist spot in Iwaizumi Town’, Ryusendo Cave! Ryusendo Cave is one of Japan’s three major caves, and its transparency is world-famous. You will never regret it, so please visit once in your lifetime! The cave boasts that it is “warm in winter and cool in summer”, and although the temperature outside is below freezing in winter, the temperature inside the cave is 50 degrees Fahrenheit averaged. Summer in the Northeast part of Japan is so hot (the four seasons are very distinct here), and the temperature inside the cave is more like a refrigerator than an air conditioner.

*It is recommended that you bring a light coat, so that the refrigerator-like temperature will not affect your feeling.

This is Ryusendo Cave in winter.

。Open hours

Open all year round (However, it may be temporarily closed due to flooding or natural disasters)

October to April 0830-1700

May to September 0830-1800

。Price of ticket

P.S. If you know someone who works at Iwaizumi Town Hall, you can get a discount by using the back of their business card.

。Notes

If you have a ticket for Ryusendo Cave, you can also visit Shindo Cave where is near the road side for free. (Recommended, you won’t regret it if you visit!! However, photography is prohibited in Shindo!)

。The Spots in Cave

In front of the cave

Longevity Water – One sip is said to extend your life by three years. No wonder Iwaizumi people live to be 100 years old easily. The water from local pipe in Iwaizumi Town also comes out from the cave! ! In 1985, the water of Ryusendo Cave was selected by the Environment Agency as one of the 100 best waters of the Showa era. Also, there are lots of popular water produces, or example, Ryusendo lotion, Ryusendo gel, Ryusendo toothpaste, tea, Ryusendo beer, Ryusendo cider, Ryusendo coffee (friends who are addicted to coffee just tried it once, and she already became a big fan.)…oh! And I have to recommend my favorite – Ryusendo Yogurt. Just buy it!! you won’t regret of it.

Turtle Rock

A cute turtle is shown here! ! If you find a spot that previous people haven’t found, you can let the staff at the Ryusendo Cave office know~ In that way, there would be traces of your staying in Iwaizumi Town in Tohoku of Japan.

cave Venus

If you look at it closely, you can observe that there is a shy beauty there, with a curvy figure. front and back. Guys, please don’t touch her butt, but it’s okay to find an angle to take a picture with her!

Dragon palace gate

Very cute Jizo rock

The stalactites here are all antiques formed by many years ago. It takes 50 years for the stalactites (icicles) that grow from the ceiling for only one cm, and gradually become straw with a hollow center, growing thicker and longer. By water containing a lot of limestone drips down, the “stalagmite” that grows from the bottom to the top takes 100 years to grow 1cm in length. For example, the Jizo Rock is about 120 cm, so the age of the stone is about 12,000 years (great great ancestor)!

Guardian stone lion(foo dog)

How many stone lions can you see? 1, 2, 3… hahaha, the answer is 44! Because in the tongue twisters of Chinese culture, there are 44 stone lions! Also, I image that there is an arrogant bird standing on the lion’s head with. And, I actually consider there is a wolf or stone lion like creature in the top left corner also.

石獅寺有四十四隻石獅子，不知是四十四死獅子？還是四十四隻石獅子？

Chinese pronunciation: Shíshī sì yǒu sìshísì zhī shí shīzi, bùzhī shì sìshísì sǐ shīzi? Háishì sìshísì zhī shí shīzi? 

Meaning：There are forty-four stone lions in the Stone Lion Temple. I wonder if they are forty-four dead lions? Or forty-four stone lions?

Look back and someone(it’s the cave!) shows you it’s heart!

First Underground Lake

The water depth is about 35 meters, and there are almost no creatures living in the underground lake! “Water which is too pure has no fish,” because there is no enough nutrients in the water for living creatures to survive.

Second Underground Lake

The Second Underground Lake was discovered by Kenichiro Ochi in 1962. Known depth is 38 meters. The water of the underground lake is collected here from the forestlands far north. The furthest forest is 14 kilometers away in a straight line and the total catchment area is about 43 square kilometers.

Third underground lake

The depth of the third underground lake is 98 meters, which is equivalent to about 25 floors of a normal building.

It is also recommended to walk a little higher and go up the stairs to take pictures. Personally, I think it’s a pretty powerful angle, and please be carefully to adjust the lights of your phone or camera.

As a result of research, the 7th Underground Lake was discovered. However, currently only the 3rd Underground Lake is open to the public, and it is unknown whether it will be open or not in the future.

Observation deck

One year’s promotional poster was also filmed here, don’t miss it! ! It’s breathtakingly beautiful~~

Bat hole

It’s a super beautiful bat cave with blue light lighting! In winter, there are sometimes bats that hibernate in the signboard of the bat hole! ! So cute! ! Just looking at the hibernating bats will melt your heart! Remember to turn off the flash when taking pictures. When the hibernation of a bat is disturbed, and it would be too weak to die. (crying)

More than 3,000 bats were said to live in the cave. A staff doesn’t want to go a second time after entering the bat hole because of bat droppings, it smelled so bad. There are 5-6 species of bats (one is relatively rare). If you want to see large amount of bats, please come in winter! Welcome visit to Ryusendo Cave, Iwaizumi Town in Iwate Prefecture of Japan! Not only can you see hibernating bats, but also you can actually observe them close!

During busy times (Obon, Golden Week, etc.), the road is designed one-way and exits from this side! I really like this tunnel because it is visually pleasing and you can take beautiful pictures here.

。Outside of cave spot

＊It is recommended to go to Shindo which located on the opposite road of Ryusendo Cave. Unlike Ryusendo, which is mainly for sightseeing, the inside of Shindo is very interesting. It’s natural and pristine, and there are even 0000 inside (visit for yourself) Be careful not to be scared! BTW, photography is prohibited inside the cave!

There are lockers, 2 restaurants, a souvenir shop (Wakka), a free lounge (located on the 2nd floor of ticket vender) and plenty of free parking spaces.
Also, there is also a Hayasaka Kogen Line bus stop（Ryusendo Cave Front） for individual travelers and those who cannot drive.

。Other services

・Wheelchair users can enter the cave, but please follow the following three rules.

1. There are stairs behind the first underground lake, so you have to go back the same way. 2. The path in the cave is narrower than the normal road, so you need to transfer to the office wheelchair (currently there are 2 wheelchairs). 3. During the busy season (May and August), it is only one-way due to congestion, and it is very dangerous to drive in the opposite direction. So, it is prohibited to enter in during the busy times.

・Baby cars can also be placed, so it is practical for families with parents and children! There are plenty of lockers next , so please use them if you need.

・There is also a fitting room in the restroom, so that you can have fun in the river nearby!

。Transportation