It's a long trip, so make sure to check the bus schedule.
Verified [Verified] denotes information that has been published with confirmation of its owing parties.
Nippara Limestone Cave
One of the Kanto Region’s Largest Limestone Cave, Located in Tokyo.
3.72
4
This limestone cave is located in Okutama-cho in western Tokyo. The cave has a total length of 1270 meters, with a height variance of 134 meters. It is One of the largest limestone cave in the Kanto region, and it has been designated as a natural monument by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Once flourishing as a spot for mountain worship, Nippara Limestone Cave is now a popular tourist spot.
The cave is made up of the “old cave,” with a hollow said to have been used as a training location by Kobo Daishi (Kukai), as well as the “new cave” that was miraculously discovered in 1962, and the entirety can be walked through on foot in about 40 minutes.
Visitors can see various strange rock formations and natural moldings formed over hundreds of thousands of years. Furthermore, the colorful lighting in the cave helps create a fantastical atmosphere.
A “Suikinkutsu,” a buried earthen jar that creates a pleasant noise as water drips into it, is set up within the cave, creating a beautiful sound that echoes around, giving a sense of the surrounding nature not only through sight but through sound as well.
The cave’s ambient temperature is about 11℃ throughout the year, with cool summers and warm winters.
Highlights
-
Said to be the largest limestone cave in the Kanto region.
-
Walking through the cave takes around 40 minutes to an hour.
-
The temperature within the cave stays at around 11℃ throughout the year.
-
Lots of water drips down in the cave on rainy days and the following days, so be sure to bring a raincoat!
-
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Photos
-
The “Mountain of Death,” one of the best photo spots within the cave
-
Entrance to Nippara Limestone Cave
-
Enmusubi Kannon
-
Mountain of Death
Official FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions have been vetted and answered directly by each listing.
Q
Do you have signs or pamphlets in foreign languages? (If you do, which languages are available?)
A
Sorry, we don’t.
Q
Is free Wi-Fi available in the area?
A
No free Wi-Fi available.
Q
Are coin lockers available?
A
Not available.
Q
Are there restrooms available?
A
Yes, there are.
Reviews
4
If the original text is in another language, the AI will automatically translate and display it.
-
-
The colorful lights shining on the stalactites look really nice. Just be careful—the ground can get pretty wet in there.
-
-
You can get here directly by bus from JR Okutama Station. The cave is cool inside, making it a perfect spot during the hot summer. The formations, shaped over tens of thousands of years, are definitely worth seeing! I also recommend enjoying some trekking or hot springs in the area.
-
I went during the summer and it felt super cool inside. The cave stays around 10°C all year. The stalactites were just okay—nothing too special, honestly.
-
Details
- Name in Japanese
- 日原鍾乳洞
- Postal Code
- 198-0211
- Address
- 1052 Nippara, Okutamamachi, Nishitamagun, Tokyo
- Telephone
- 0428-83-8491
- Business Hours
-
April-November 9:00am - 5:00pm
December-March 9:00am - 4:30pm - Closed
- Year-end and New Year’s holidays (December 30th-January 3rd)
- Admission
- Adults 900 yen; junior high school students 700 yen; elementary school students 600 yen
- Access
-
Take the bus from the JR Ome Line’s Okutama Station for about 30 minutes. After getting off at the Nippara Limestone Cave bus stop, the cave is about a 5-minute walk away.
On weekends and holidays, it is about a 20-minute walk from the Higashi-Nippara bus stop. - Credit Cards
- Not accepted
- Official Website
- Official Website (Japanese)