Guide to Ryusendo

The cave’s year-round temperature is stable at approx. 10°C. You may need an extra garment (or jacket) to keep you warm, if wearing light, particularly in summer clothes (e.g., a short-sleeved shirt or shorts).
We lend windcheaters, so please contact the office if required.

Please wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking in the cave. The floor is wet due to the water dripping from the ceiling and some parts of the stairs are steep.

At the Third Underground Lake which is deep inside the cave, marks the starting point of the staircase.
Following an up-and-down pathway, this staircase has a total of 270 steps, and at the half-way point offers a vantage point for the First Underground Lake. (The First Underground Lake Observaion Deck)

Because the staircases going up are very narrow, it is not possible to turn back half-way along it.
So, it is recommended that anyone who is not in good physical condition, with infirm legs or suffering from acrophobia, to retrace their steps back along the same route from the Third Underground Lake, without attempting to go up the stairs.

【Stairs】
In front of the First Underground Lake ⇒ about 20 descending steps. From the Third Underground Lake – the First Underground Lake Observation Deck– Mamori-jishi (guardian lion) ⇒ about 270 steps. To Chomei (Long-life) Fountain ⇒ about 20 descending steps

※ As an exceptional situation, when the route is made one-way only at a peak season, please be aware that everyone must climb about 60 steps ahead and exit via the exit tunnel.

Since Ryusendo is a ‘living’ cave (i.e., continuously growing without drying out), some water always drips from the cave roof.
When it rains, the rainwater seeping through the ground drips more than usual. Although the amount of water dripping into the cave is proportional to the amount of rainfall, there may be a time lag before the rainwater begins to fall from the cave ceiling, depend on the time taken to seep through the surface of the ground.
So you may find heavy dripping in the cave even when it has stopped raining outside. When dripping especially severely, you may rent/borrow an umbrella and raincoat from the office.

Certain areas are prone to be affected early in the tour route, and here we first erect scaffolding as soon as flooding occurs. We put your safety first and close Ryusendo Cave if the water increases to a dangerous level.
However, the Shindo Science Museum will stay open.

The busiest and most crowded time for Ryusendo Cave is during the Golden Week (early May) and the Bon festival (mid August) .
During these busy periods, in a single day as many as 6,000 people – or more than 1,000 people per hour – may enter the cave.
Normally, the entrance and the exit share the same location, and the paths going in and coming out of the cave overlap at some points. However, this usual route arrangement changes in the busy peiords to avoid congestion in the cave.
The tour route becomes all one-way,and the exit is through a exit tunnel after climbing about 60 stairs from the Third Underground Lake. However, congestion might remain severe despite these measures, and we may guide you to first visit the Shindo Science Museum (covered by the same ticket).
The busiest time of the day is between 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.