[Akiyoshidai Travel Guide] Enjoy Epic Natural Views and Mysterious Caves

From the Akiyoshidai Karst Observatory, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view.
Since it offers a full view of the grand scenery unique to a karst plateau, it’s a great first stop.
Next to the observatory, Karstar (Karusuta), attached to the Mine Akiyoshidai Geopark Center, is a cafe and rest area where you can take a break.
It also has free Wi-Fi and charging spots, so be sure to make use of them.

Karst Road is a route that runs north to south through Akiyoshidai and stretches over 5 miles.
From your vehicle, you can enjoy views of limestone rocks scattered across the grasslands and the wide-open scenery.
Even if you don’t rent a car, you can still get around easily with taxis and rental bikes available.
Take in views different from the observatory, from a car or bicycle.

At the Akiyoshidai Geopark Center, you can sign up for the guided “Mine Akiyoshidai Geo Tour.” Three tours are available.
If you want to fully enjoy Akiyoshidai, join a tour that fits your budget and schedule.
Below, we’ll introduce the prices and details, so please use it as a reference.
The “Standard Trekking Course” and “Free Course” require advance reservations.

Akiyoshido, a Special Natural Monument, is located south along Karst Road.
It lies 328 ft underground beneath Akiyoshidai and has a total length of 7 miles. About 0.6 miles of it is open for sightseeing.
It stays at 63°F year-round, cool in summer and warm in winter.
Inside the cave, you can enjoy natural formations created by nature and also feel a bit of an adventurous spirit.
Two courses are available below—choose the one that interests you and head out on an adventure.

Kagekiyodo is said to have been a hiding place for a Heike (samurai clan) warlord who was defeated in the Battle of Dan-no-ura during the Heian period (794–1185).
Inside the cave, you’ll find spots related to the warlord Taira no Kagekiyo, who is said to have hidden there.
In the cave, you can enjoy ceilings and walls with an art-like beauty, as well as fossils of coral and seaweed.
Explore while imagining how the warlord lived in hiding.

Taishodo is a Natural Monument, approx. 1.2 miles long, with five cave levels connected by vertical shafts.
It’s narrower than Akiyoshido and Kagekiyodo, with a complex, maze-like structure.
As you walk through the cave—home to uniquely shaped stalactites and a natural limestone bridge—you’ll feel like you’ve arrived in a remote, hidden place.
In the past, it was called “Ushikakushi no Dou (Cattle-Hiding Cave)” because people hid cattle inside so they wouldn’t be taken during times of war.

A pond with a circumference of approx. 131 ft, located on the grounds of Beppu Itsukushima Shrine.
It’s said that groundwater that springs from Mt. Hanaosan to the northwest of the pond flows along a fault line and is filtered over a long period of time, becoming highly transparent water.
The clear, refreshing 57°F water, unique to karst regions, has a beautiful gradient of crystal-clear cobalt blue, creating a magical atmosphere.
In 1985, it was also selected as one of the Environment Agency’s “100 Exquisite Waters of Japan.”

Tsunoshima Bridge opened in 2000.
It connects the mainland side of Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, with the remote island of Tsunoshima, and at 5,840 ft long, it’s one of Japan’s longest toll-free bridges to a remote island.
Located within the Kita-Nagato Coast Quasi-National Park, the bridge was designed with its piers kept to a height of 59 ft to consider the surrounding landscape.
With the road close to the sea surface, you can enjoy a drive while feeling the ocean up close.
Instead of connecting the mainland and Tsunoshima in a straight line, it gently curves as it detours around Hatojima Island at the midpoint, creating an exceptionally beautiful form.

A five-story pagoda said to have been planned by Morimi, the younger brother of Ouchi Yoshihiro, to mourn Yoshihiro, who died in the Oei Rebellion in Oei 6 (1399), and completed in Kakitsu 2 (1442).
It stands 102 ft tall, and its architectural style is broadly Japanese, with some Chinese elements used in parts.
With cypress-bark roofing, the pagoda body narrows toward the upper levels, giving it a clean, refined look.
It’s both one of the finest examples of mid-Muromachi-period architecture and the greatest masterpiece of Ouchi culture, and is counted as one of Japan’s three great pagodas alongside Horyuji Temple and Daigoji Temple.