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50 years for 1cmWhat is ”50 years for 1cm”? It is the speed of the growth of a stalactite hanging from the cave like an icicle. Not 50cm per year but 1cm per 50 years…. It is an unbelievably long time. Stalactite cave is a cave made by limestone that was eroded by underground water. If the stalactite took 50 years to grow 1cm, how long did it take for the cave to get to its current size? In Iwate Prefecture, there is a famous stalactite cave. It is Ryusendo located in the east in Iwaizumi city of Shimohei county. We eagerly go to the cave looking forward to the adventure. |
”Ryusendo” is one of the largest stalactite caves in JapanRyusendo is said to be one of the top 3 stalactite caves in Japan. It was designated as the nation’s natural monument titled as ”Iwaizumi Wakkutsu (old name for Ryusendo) and bats” in 1938. |
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There were people living in the cave?Ryusendo has a stalactite cave called Ryusen Shindo (Ryusen New Cave) which was discovered in 1967. We visited there as well. We first saw the site of bats. |
ACCESS
- Ryusendo
- Kannari-1-1 Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi-chō, Shimohei-gun, Iwate Prefecture
- URL http://www.iwate-ryusendo.jp/en/