S P O T ／ SPOT-298
Ryugado Cave
龍河洞りゅうがどう
Counted among the 'Three Great Limestone Caves of Japan,' this Kochi cavern in Kami City was, unusually, designated both a National Natural Monument and a National Historic Site in 1934. Its roughly one-kilometer tourist route runs past stalagmites, stone pillars, and flowing flowstone terraces shaped over enormous spans of time. The headline marvel is the 'Vessel of the Gods' (Kami-no-tsubo): a clay pot carried into the cave in the late Yayoi period that, coated by dripping lime, has fused completely with the cave rock. Over some 2,000 years the pottery is literally turning to stone — a globally rare specimen in which an archaeological artifact and a geological process advance together. Beyond the sightseeing course, an 'adventure course' lets visitors crawl in through the cave's original natural mouth wearing a helmet.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01The 'Vessel of the Gods' — a Yayoi pot wrapped in flowstone and fused with the cave rock, a rare specimen turning to stone over ~2,000 years
- 02A cave designated as both a Natural Monument and a Historic Site, where nature and human history intersect
- 03A tourist route of stalagmites, stone pillars, and flowing flowstone terraces running about one kilometer
- 04An 'adventure course' crawling in through the primeval entrance with a helmet required
A C C E S S ／ M E T A
Essentials
- Location
- Kochi Prefecture Kami City
- Address
- 高知県香美市土佐山田町逆川1424
- Fee
- 観光コース 大人1,200円・中学生700円・小学生550円（冒険コース等は別料金・要予約）
- Hours
- 8:30〜17:00（最終入洞、3/1〜11/30）／8:30〜16:30（最終入洞、12/1〜2月末）
- Status
- 現存
- Official
- https://ryugadou.or.jp/
- Nearest
- JR土讃線「土佐山田駅」
- Walk
- 0 min
- Parking
- あり・無料（普通車約300台）
- Time
- 観光コース約30〜40分（冒険コースは約1時間半）