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HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Akiyoshidai Plateau
Yamaguchi’s landscape of limestone rocks, caves, and other natural wonders seldom seen in Japan
Yamaguchi Prefecture
Otherworldly and mesmerizing, Akiyoshidai in Yamaguchi Prefecture is one of Japan’s largest karst plateaus. Its thousands of protruding limestone rocks, scattered across a rolling grassy landscape, are formations from what was once a coral reef around 350 million years ago. Shaped by the elements of nature, the limestone often contains Paleozoic fossils—fragments of history preserved in stone.
Beneath the plateau lies a vast network of limestone caves known as Akiyoshido, another natural fantastical phenomenon. The caves are filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and pools of still water.
Akiyoshidai is a Quasi-National Park and a designated Special Natural Monument of Japan, and there are many ways you can take in its 350-million-year history. You could take a tour on an all-terrain Segway or rent a crossbike or electric crossbike for convenience and speed.
How to get there
From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Shinkansen bullet train to Shin-Yamaguchi Station (about 2 hours). From Shin-Yamaguchi Station, take the bus to Akiyoshido Bus Terminal (about 40 minutes). The terminal is the starting point for sightseeing for public transportation users. The main entrance to Akiyoshido cave is about a 5-minute walk from the terminal.
Akiyoshidai, Akiyoshi, Shuho-cho, Mine-shi, Yamaguchi-ken
