Ryusendo Cave
龍泉洞
One of Japan’s three great limestone caves, with a crystal-clear underground lake. The water is about 98 meters deep in places and has a dreamy “Ryusendo blue.”
Ryusendo is located in Iwaizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture. Along with Akiyoshi-dō in Yamaguchi and Ryūgadō in Kōchi, it is counted among Japan’s three great limestone caves. Its known length exceeds 4 km, and about 700 meters are open to the public. The cave contains several underground lakes. The third underground lake is about 98 meters deep with extremely high clarity, appearing a deep blue under the lights. It is designated a Natural Monument of Japan. The cave stays at a constant temperature of about 10°C, so bring a jacket even in summer. Admission is about 1,100 yen. It takes about 2 hours by car from Morioka, or about 2 hours by JR bus on the Hayasaka Kogen Line. A same-day round trip is recommended.
Opening hours
08:30–17:00 (until 16:30 Oct–Apr)
Nearby sights
- Tono Furusato Village
- Kappa-buchi
- Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum
- Iwayama Observatory
- Morioka Hachimangu Shrine
- Hoonji Temple
- Konyacho & Nakatsu River
- Azumaya Honten (Wanko Soba)