Overview of Sekigahara Limestone Cave
Sekigahara Limestone Cave lies upstream from Tamakurabe Spring, a historic spring associated with the legendary Japanese hero Yamato Takeru. According to tradition, after descending Mount Ibuki in a weakened and dazed condition due to the poisonous breath of a mountain deity, Yamato Takeru drank from the spring and regained his strength.
This spring is mentioned in the Kojiki, one of Japan’s oldest chronicles, as Ioizumi no Shimizu, and in the Nihon Shoki, another ancient historical text, as Ioizumi no Izumi.
After the cave was designated a natural monument of Sekigahara Town in 1968 under the name Iwakurayama Limestone Cave, it was developed as a tourist attraction. The 518-meter route has few changes in elevation and is paved, allowing visitors to explore the underground formations with relative ease. The average temperature inside is approximately 15°C.
Rainbow trout have been released into the spring water flowing through the cave, where visitors can watch them swimming. This water is also channeled through an artificial waterway toward Tamakurabe Spring, which had previously dried up.
Highlights Inside the Cave
Gyokaden Hall
This spectacular chamber resembles a jewel box, with countless stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Their intricate shapes create a magical atmosphere deep underground.
Giant’s Foot
This impressive stalactite resembles an enormous human foot. Its striking shape encourages visitors to look upward and admire the natural formation.
Ascending Dragon Hall
Named for the stalactites extending downward from the ceiling, this area evokes the image of a dragon rising toward the sky.
Crinoid Fossils
Fossils of crinoids, marine animals that once lived in ancient seas, provide valuable evidence that this region was covered by the ocean in the distant past.
Byōbu Rock
This distinctive formation resembles a traditional Japanese folding screen, with a broad, relatively flat wall-like surface created by natural mineral deposits.
Schools of Rainbow Trout
Visitors can observe rainbow trout swimming gracefully through the spring water inside the cave, adding a lively element to the mysterious underground scenery.