Taisho Cave

 

After descending from the Akiyoshidai plateau, I visited another of the 400 caves that extend underneath it.

The first hundred meters or so of the cave was used in earlier times by local people to hide their livestock during times of war and banditry and was known as Ushikakunodo, or "cow hiding hole".

In 1921, early Taisho Period, the deeper reaches of the cave were first explored and so it was named Taishodo.

The cave consists of a series of chambers arranged vertically.

The public section covers about a kilometer, and while not as dramatic as Akiyoshido, the fact that I was able to explore alone was a big plus.

In 1970 a tunnel was made connecting the upper level to the outside so that visitors can exit without having to return the way they came.

Taisho Cave is a National Natural Monument as well as being part of the Mine Akiyoshidai Geopark.

The five levels of the cave system are named with the lowest being Hell, and the highest being Heaven. many of the festures of the cave are also named, including Cow Hideout, Niomon Gate, Yoromeki Passage, Otowa Falls, Child-rearing Kannon, Pine Trees in the Snow, Lion Rock, Lotus Pond, Cave Pool, Romance Passage, Jellyfish Rock, and Okunoin.

There is an infrequent bus service to and from Hagi.

The previous post in this series on day 28 of my walk along the Chugoku Pilgrimage was on the early morning walk across the Akiyoshidai Plateau to get to the cave.

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Akiyoshido the Greatest Cavern in Japan

 

Beneath the Akiyoshidai limestone karst in central Yamaguchi, sit 400 caves, the largest of which is named Akiyoshido.

It is said to extend 10 kilometers, but only the first kilometers is opend to the public.

The cave was formed by limestone being dissolved in water, and through the first part of the cave a river still runs....

The first part is truly a cavern, the size of an aircraft hangar...

later the path into the deeper reaches does some climbing and descending...

many of the formations encountered have evocative names. There are multilingual explanations at many points.

For those that don't want to walk the full kilometer back to the etrance, an elevator takes you up to the plateau from where a shuttle take you back to the entrance during the busy season.

Or you can, as I did this time, walk from the elevator exit to the observation deck overlooking the plateau.

When I first visited Akiyoshido many years ago, many of the formations whoilluminated with coloured lights. A few shots from then can be seen here.

Though it is not far from Hagi, Akiyoshido is much esier to reach by public transport from Shin Yamagucho or Yamaguchi stations.

The previous post was on the nearby Akiyoshi Inari Shrine

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Nishinotaki Ryusui Temple 42 Shodoshima Pilgrimage

 

I arrived at Nishinotaki Temple via the mountain footpath that ran from temple 41, Bukkokusan, so I didn't see the quite dramatic entry approach until I left.

Nishinotaki epitomizes all that is so great about the Shodoshima Pilgrimage:- a cave, fantastic views, and lots of Fudo Myoo....

The entrance to the small cave is beside main hall.

Inside is a sacred spring, and according to the various legends  it concerns a dragon that attacked a local village and was pacified and confined in the cave resulting in the sacred spring today.

The honzon is an 11-faced Kannon.

A forest fire in 1970 destroyed all the buildings.

The Goma-do is a vermillion, concrete structure with the best views... photo 17 below

A little further up the mountain is a Fudo statues with attendants... photo 14 below.

There are several other Fudo statues including the one on the altar in the goma-do photo 11 below

For those who come by car there is a long staircase lined with lanterns

Nishinotaki is the okunoin of temple 33, Choshoji, which I visited the day before. It had a lovely karensansui grounds.

The previous post was on temple 41 Bukkokusan.