Nippara Cave, Limestone cave in Okutama, Japan
Nippara Cave is a limestone cave in Okutama that extends 800 meters underground, featuring numerous stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars within multiple chambers. The system showcases geological formations created through underground water flow and erosion over millions of years.
The cave formed through limestone dissolution over millions of years and served as a mountain worship site during the Edo period. Archaeological discoveries including ancient bronze mirrors and coin offerings found within its chambers reveal the site's long spiritual use.
The cave has served as a mountain worship site since the Edo period, and visitors today can sense the spiritual reverence that local people maintained for this underground sanctuary.
Visits proceed along illuminated pathways and typically last about 40 minutes for a guided tour through the main chambers. The temperature remains constant at around 11 degrees Celsius year-round, so wearing a light jacket is advisable.
In the Suikinkutsu chamber, water drops falling into hidden cavities below the surface create natural musical sounds. This rare acoustic effect emerges from the distinctive shape of the cave formation beneath the waterline.
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