出流鍾乳洞

Izuru shonyudo - Izuru Limestone Cave - Okunoin shōnyūdō - Okunoin Limestone Cave - Idemitsu Limestone Cave

Useful Information

Location:	North of Izuru village, Tochigi-city. From monastery parking lot 20 minutes walk up the valley.
Open:	Monastery: All year daily 8:30-17. Cave: APR to SEP daily 8:30-16. OCT to MAR daily 8:30-15. [2020]
Fee:	Adults JPY 300, Children JPY 200. [2020]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, D=10 min.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no, 1 km walk, many steps
Bibliography:
Address:	Manganji Temple, 288 Izurumachi, Tochigi, 328-0206, Tel: +81-282-31-1717, Fax: +81-282-31-2121.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

出流鍾乳洞 (Izuru shōnyūdō - Cave of Izuru) is named after nearby town Izurumachi. It is part of the Manganji Temple in the valley north of the town. There are various wooden temples in the valley and the Daigo Falls or Daisho Falls, with a small cave named Daishi Sacred Cave. The place is recommended for women who want to get pregnant, they can swim in the holy water. Currently, the waterfall is dry as a result of a landslide.

At the far end of the valley a series of stone steps leads uphill to the hall of worship at Okunoin. This wooden building, erected in front of a limestone cliff, is also the entrance to the stalactite cave. The name of the cave is actually 奥之院鍾乳洞 (Okunoin shōnyūdō - Okunoin Limestone Cave). Inside is a stalagmite which is called the Bodhisattva elephant. The cave is the source of a river which forms the Daisho Falls below.