Ryūga Cave

About this place

Ryūgadō, or Ryūga Cave, is a limestone cave in Kami City, Kōchi Prefecture, about 20 km in a straight line east of central Kōchi. It is one of the three largest limestone caves in Japan, with a total length of 4 km, and is protected as a national Natural Monument. The cave took around 175 million years to form. Dozens of pieces of Yayoi-period pottery, remains of furnaces, charcoal and animal bones have been found inside, showing that people lived here about 2,000 years ago, and it was designated a national Historic Site in 1934. It opened to the public in August 1931. About one kilometre of the cave is open as a show cave, with paths, stairways and lighting, passing chambers hung with stalactites and rising stalagmites and rippled walls of white, brown and orange flowstone, some lit in colour. The west entrance is a rocky passage framed by plants, and a small museum near the cave displays the ancient pottery. Entry is paid, the route is narrow and steep in places and the floor is damp, so wear suitable shoes. The cave keeps a nearly constant temperature all year, making it a pleasant refuge in summer heat.