May 10, 2013 - 1 min read

Gyokusendo Cave

Okinawa's Largest Cave & One of the Largest in Japan

By Michael Flemming

Community writer

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Gyokusendo Cave can be traversed along an 850 meter long elevated pathway

While there are grand caverns along the pathway, most of the cave is much narrower and the humidity is about 80%

Many of the stalagmites and other cave formations are named but only in Japanese

Gyokusendo Cave contains an underground river

Aquarium displays contain fish and crawfish native to the river inside Gyokusendo; the fish can also be seen in the river

An escalator replaces the endless stairwell at the exit of the 850 meter long cave

Okinawa's largest cave is also one of the largest in all of Japan. Gyokusendo Cave is at - really under - Okinawa World theme park in Nanjo City. Visitors can walk through the cave along an 850 meter long walkway that is built just above the cavern floor. There are many displays within the cave, a few benches to sit on along the way, and an underground river running along the pathway. The cave may not be for everyone as the humidity hovers around 80% and the pathway is extremely narrow at multiple points. Okinawa World is located on Route 17 in Nanjo City; bus lines 51, 54, 81, 82 and 83 stop at the Gyokusendo-mae stop near the park. Entry to Okinawa World is 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children; the price of admission to the Gyokusendo Cave is another 600 yen and 300 yen charge respectively. The park is open 09:00 ~ 18:00 daily.

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By Michael Flemming

Community writer

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Michael Flemming Photographer 11 years ago

That's a great point Kathryn. Cool temperatures, 100% humidity, cold wet rock, and total darkness could be really dangerous. I'm sticking with Gyokusendo.

Kathryn Spoor 11 years ago

Gyokusendo Cave is one of the best opportunities visitors to Okinawa will have of safely experiencing one of the island's beautiful underground caves. This is a must see but as was mentioned in the article is not for everyone. Also be sure to choose your footwear carefully as it can at times be slick and the path a bit uneven as the cave continues to form around (and sometimes even on) the pathway.

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