戸津井鍾乳洞

Totsui shonyudo - Totsui Limestone Cave


Useful Information

Location: 646 Totsui, Yura-cho, Hidaka-gun 649-1134 Wakayama Prefecture.
E42 exit Hirokawa, Route 42 for 11 km, turn right on 23, straight ahead 24. In Ena at harbur turn left, left again to the cave.
(33.987603, 135.098781)
Open: All year Sat, Sun, Hol 9-17.
Daily during school holidays.
Closed 31-DEC, 01-JAN.
[2022]
Fee: Adults JPY 200, Children JPY 100.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave
Light: LightIncandescent
Dimension:  
Guided tours: L=100 m.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: Totsui shonyudo, 646 Totsui, Yura cho, Hidaka-gun, Shoin Oaza 649-1134, Wakayama Prefecture, Tel: +81-738-66-0406, Tel: +81-738-65-1203.
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

1918 beginning of quarrying.
1945 limestone quarry closed.
1989 opened as a show cave.

Description

戸津井鍾乳洞 (Totsui shonyudo, Totsui Cave) is named after the small harbour village Totsui where it is located. This cave has a natural entrance and has been known since ancient times. Until 1945 the area has been used as a limestone quarry and so parts of the cave have been destroyed. The limestone outcrop is called Chichibu Belt and consists of Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones. It is enclosed by Silurian and Permian crystalline rocks, mostly granites.

Because of the long time the cave was visited by man and the time as a quarry the cave has little speleothems. The stalactites have started to grow again, but there are only small beginnings of soda straws. The main feature of the cave is the interesting geology, of a cave in an isolated outcrop of limestone in the middle of crystalline rocks. Also, the ceiling shows interesting structures caused by the chemical dissolution of the limestone. Minimal difference in the chemistry caused the creation of honeycombed structures which are called beehives or sponge work.