郡上鍾乳洞

Gujō shōnyūdō - Gujo Limestone Cave


Useful Information

Location: 1180, Hachimancho Iruma, Gujo, Gifu 〒501-4451.
From Gujo Hachiman follow 256 towards Warachosawa for 8 km.
(35.753194, 137.044041)
Open: All year Sat, Sun, School Holidays 9-17:30.
[2022]
Fee: Adults JPY 500.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave SpeleologyRiver Cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: T=13 °C.
Guided tours: self guided, D=30 min, L=400 m.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Gujo Limestone Cave, Gujō shōnyūdō, 1180, Hachimancho Iruma, Gujo, Gifu 〒501-4451, Tel: +81-575-68-2101.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History


Description

郡上鍾乳洞 (Gujō shōnyūdō, Gujo Limestone Cave) is located at the road between the city Gujo Hachiman and Warachosawa in the west. It is also known as 油石洞 (Yuishi Cave, Graystone Cave, Oil stone cave). It is about 8 km drive from Gujo Hachiman and located right at the road. The parking lot is on the right side and the cave on the left. The cave entrance is actually less than 50 m from the road. And as typical for Japan, it is a beautiful garden with sculptures and plants, and sculpted gravel.

The cave is located in same limestone karst as several other show caves, and as it is less famous there are much fewer visitors. This fact actually makes it well worth a visit, without being always surrounded by noisy groups of visitors taking selfies. But be careful, if there are few visitors the light is turned on for you, and after some time it is turned off again. Visitors are asked to tell when they leave, but some go silently, so they actually turn off the light after some time. If you stay too long you might be in the dark, probably a "just in case lamp" is a good idea. The cave is open daily during School holidays but only on weekends otherwise, but if you call ahead they might open for you nevertheless. Unfortunately they speak only 日本語 - Japanese as far as we know.

The cave is often mixed up with 郡上八幡大鍾乳洞 (Gunjōhachiman dai shōnyūdō, Gujo Hachiman Great Limestone Cave), which is a very problematic name, because there are numerous pretty similar names, and they are often mixed up. Gujo Hachiman Great Limestone Cave was renamed ShowcaveMiyama Shonyudo after the village where it is located for this reason.