Part 2 of our trip to Gujo, Gifu Prefecture, takes us underground to the Otaki Limestone Cave (Otaki Shonyudo).
Getting to the Cave
At the entrance, cold spring water flows into old stone basins. A guide map shows the route through the cave. From the ticket office, a small incline car climbs the steep mountainside to the cave entrance, which is set in the forest.
Inside Otaki Limestone Cave
The limestone cave was formed over about 100 million years. Inside, a narrow path with stairs winds through passages lit by colored lights. Stalactites hang from the ceiling and the walls are covered with flowstone. Each formation has a poetic name written on a small sign, such as “Peacock Dance,” “Wrath of Heaven” and “Heavenly World.”
The Underground Waterfall
The highlight is Otaki (“big waterfall”), an underground waterfall about 30 meters high that thunders down deep inside the cave. The cave stays cool all year, so it is a refreshing place to visit in summer.
