The popular spot of the cave interior with an overwhelming scale
Only 1 kilometer of the cave is open for sightseeing but there is plenty to see there. Going past the waterfall at the cave entrance, you come to a massive space that just opens up in front of you. The light that comes in from the entrance into the 30m-high and 50m-wide space reflects off the river so that the ceiling takes on a blue tinge, thus the name The Blue Ceiling. Also, you will marvel at the other beautiful formations such as the Kasazukushi where countless numbers of limestone hang down like umbrellas, and the Gankutsu-Ou (King of The Cave) group of stalagmites that resemble armored warriors. There are also the popular Kogane Bashira (Golden Pillar) whose 15-meter structure hangs down like a lace curtain and the Hyaku-mai Zara (100 Plates) which consist of over 500 disc-shaped formations. Along with the conventional route, there is also the Adventure Course which involves scaling the rock face, the Romantic Exploration in the Dark which involves walking inside the cave without any lighting with just a flashlight to lead the way, and many other courses.
Enjoy a tour of caves with different charms
There are many other limestone caves along with Akiyoshi-do at Akiyoshi Plateau. Oddly enough, you can enjoy a tour of the caves which have different attractions although they are all in the same location. Kagekiyo-do Cave has an interior that is so beautiful that it seems like a work of art. The limestone on the ceiling and walls have taken on beautiful patterns over the centuries and you can even see fossilized coral and seaweed. There are unique shrines in the limestone caves which create a mystical atmosphere. At the northeastern tip of the Akiyoshi Plateau, there is Taisho-do. Compared with Akiyoshi-do and Kagekiyo-do, it isn’t as big but it has the unique feature of a 3-dimensional formation that is separated into 5 layers. There are also other interesting ways to enjoy the tour through routes such as the Yoromeki Passage where barely a person can pass through and the Romantic Wicket in which if a couple passes through while holding hands, it is said that love will blossom.