Washizawa Wind Cave

photo by MH001 · Pubblico dominio

A horizontal ceiling, unique in Japan among limestone caves; 400 yen, helmet included.

The cave formed in the limestone of the Iinoya Formation, in the Chichibu geological belt. At the entrance the operator provides a helmet, which is compulsory; inside, the route goes through stairs and narrow passages, and one review advises against heels or a skirt. On the horizontal ceiling (which a Shizuoka Prefecture geological study says is unique in Japan among limestone caves) dripping water has carved thin grooves, and on the floor you can see rock columns that usually form only on the surface.

The cave takes its name from the Washizawa area, in Hamana Ward, Hamamatsu. It is one of the ‘100 natural sites of new Hamamatsu’ (新浜松の自然100選), a municipal list. Inside there is also a pond dedicated to the water god.

ℹ️ Entry costs 400 yen, helmet included, according to reviews: the cave has no website and no source publishes its opening hours. The ticket office is family-run. Stairs and narrow passages: not recommended for anyone who suffers from claustrophobia. At the exit spring water is sold, 10 litres for 100 yen, and local residents come to fetch it with jerrycans. In practice you can only get there by car, near the Shin-Tōmei interchange.

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org

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