The Hundred Plates

This is the most famous spot in Akiyoshido Cave, a nationally designated Special Natural Monument and one of Japan's largest limestone caves. Just a little way in from the main entrance, you'll find this spectacle of the travertine terrace formed by the precipitation of lime dissolved in water, which looks like an array of stair-stepped plates. The sight of more than 500 cascading plates is simply breathtaking. The lime water running from the middle of the cascade is the creator of these frozen ripple-shapes, and the visible testament to the ages needed to create this formation gives a tangible sense of the earth's history.

Spot details

Address: Yamaguchi Mine-shi Shuhocho Akiyoshi Akiyoshi-do Map
Area: Mine City (Akiyoshidai) / Ube City Area
Phone: 0837620305
Hours: [Dec.- Feb.]8:30-16:30
[Mar.- Nov.]8:30-17:30
Closed: open everyday
Fees: [Admission fee] [Adult] 1,300yen [Junior high school students] 1,050yen [Elementary school students] 700yen
Parking Lot: Available(570spaces)
Credit Card: Not available
Smoking: Not available
Wi-Fi: Not available
Can be enjoyed even on a rainy day: Yes (There is a possibility that partial or full entry is not possible during Crown Wednesday)
Average budget: [Day] 1,001-3,000yen [Night] 1,001-3,000yen
Estimated stay time: 30-60 minutes
Wheelchair accessible: Available
Infant friendly: Available
Pet friendly: Yes (possible if you can put it in a hug or bag)