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Experience the miraculous underground “Dragon Blue” lakes
Iwate Prefecture
One of the three great limestone caves of Japan, Ryusendo Cave was designated a national natural landmark and protected habitat for bats in 1938, with some of the most transparent underground lakes in the world. Visitors can experience three of the crystal-clear underground lakes. The most impressive of these is the third, which is 98 meters deep. The rest of Ryusendo Cave is not open to the public, but it contains a fourth underground lake that is the deepest in Japan at 120 meters.
The explored portion of the cave stretches to a length of 4,088 meters, 700 meters of which is open to the public. Including the unexplored areas, the entire cave is estimated to be over 5,000 meters in length, but research is still ongoing.
There are various kinds of stalactites and stalagmites to discover inside the cave, including flowstone, stones similar to straw and bamboo shoots, and more. Each one is like a work of art, adding to the mystery of Ryusendo Cave.
After visiting the cave, visitors can take a walk along the Shizu River bank and enjoy year-round seasonal scenery. From the end of April to September 30, river fishing in the Shizu River is also recommended. Bait and tackle can be rented onsite—all you need to do is show up!
How to get there
From Tokyo Station, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Morioka Station (about 2 hours 10 minutes). Ryusendo Cave is about a 1-hour 50-minute drive from the station along National Route 455.
1-1 Kannari, Iwaizumi-aza Iwaizumi-cho, Shimohei-gun, Iwate-ken
