Yugendo Cave is a limestone cave located in Higashiyama Town, Iwate Prefecture.
The cave has a layer from the mid-Paleozoic era which indicates that the cave is about 350 million years old and was once 50 meters below sea level.
The cave is famous for various speleothems including stalactite, pillar, soda straw, stalagmite, and flowstone. Fossils of crinoids (sea lilies), trilobites, corals, and many more creatures of early earth have been exposed in the interesting rock formations found in the cave, some of which are on display.
Before entering the cave, there is an exhibition hall showcasing some of the caves history, rock formations and fossils found inside the cave.
Yugendo was discovered in 1980 and is one of the oldest limestone caves in Japan. The length of the cave is approximately 500 meters and features narrow walkways which give it a more rustic feeling compared to more popular caves in Iwate.
Yugendo Cave is located off Route 106, two kilometers from Geibikei Gorge. Admission is 1,000 yen for adults.
