Fugoppe-dokutsu

Fugoppe Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Yoichi, Hokkaidō, Yoichi Beach. NAC: VQ3Q Q600 Longitude: 140.85 Latitude: 43.2
Open:
Fee:
Classification:	Karst cave Painted Cave
Light:	electric.
Dimension:
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Bibliography:	Masaru Ogawa (1988): Rock engravings in Fugoppe Cave, Japan, in: M.J. Morwood, D.R. Hobbs (eds.) (1992): Rock Art And Ethnography, Proceedings of the Ethnography Symposium (H), Australian Rock Art Research Association Congress, Darwin 1988. Occasional AURA Publication Number 5, Australian Rock Art Research Association, AURA Archaeological Publications, Melbourne. 87 pp, ISBN: 0 646 04920 8 Rock Art and Ethnography Hiromitsu Yamagishi, Tadashi Yasuda, Hideji Kobayashi (): Conservation from Rockfall of the Engraved Wall in the Fugoppe Cave, Hokkaido, Japan, UNESCO IGCP NO. 425 Thomas Heyd (2002): Authentic Display of Rock Art: The Case of Fugoppe Cave, in Masaru Ogawa (ed.), Fugoppe doukutsu ganmen-kokuga no sougou-teki kenky (in Japanese: IntegratedResearch of Petroglyphs from Fugoppe Cave, Japan), Naruto University, Japan.
Address:	Fugoppe cave, Tel: +81-135-22-6170.
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History

1950	discovered accidentally by a junior high school student, who has come to the sea bathing in the seashore of Hokkaido Yoichi Cho.

Description

Fugoppe Cave is a painted cave, or better a carved cave. The walls are covered by 2,000 years old engravings showing mostly human figures. Some of them have wings and look like angels.

This cave is unique, as it is one of only two in Japan showing such engravings. The other is Temiya Cave only a few kilometers to the east.

Unfortunately the cave is located under the cliff at Yoichi Beach, and the continuing erosion endangers the cave. At the moment enormous efforts are taken to protect the cave. The cave is a national heritage site.