Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I took a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to Hashidate Cave in Saitama Prefecture. Hashidate Limestone Cave is one of the largest limestone caves in Japan, located in Chichibu City, and is said to have a history of about 10 million years. In this article, I would like to introduce what Hashidate Limestone Cave is, what route I took to get there, and what there are to see.
Hashidate Limestone Cave is a limestone cave located in Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture. A limestone cave is an underground cavity where you can see rocks of various shapes created over many years by water and limestone. Hashidate Limestone Cave is one of the largest in Japan, with a total length of approximately 800 meters and a height difference of approximately 50 meters.There are approximately 200 types of strangely shaped rocks, including stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites rising from the floor. Hashidate Limestone Cave is thought to have been formed from a lava tube created by volcanic activity about 10 million years ago, followed by crustal deformation and erosion.
Route to Hashidate Cave
On this tour, I set out on my favorite Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide. It takes about 2 hours to reach Hashidate Limestone Cave from central Tokyo via the Kanetsu Expressway from the Shuto Expressway’s Inner Loop Line. On the way, enter the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway at Bijogi JCT and return to the Kanetsu Expressway at Oizumi JCT. After exiting the Kanetsu Expressway at Hanazono IC, enter Chichibu city using the Nishi-Kanto Connecting Road or prefectural highway. In Chichibu City, you can drive on Prefectural Route 209 and National Route 140, but the roads are narrow and have many curves, so you need to be careful. Also, there are many traffic jams and traffic lights along the way, so be sure to leave with plenty of time to spare.
When you arrive at Hashidate Limestone Cave, first pay the entrance fee and enter through the entrance. Admission fee is 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students. From the entrance, go down the stairs to the basement. The temperature underground remains constant, around 15 degrees in both summer and winter. Therefore, depending on the season, you may need a jacket. Also, it can be slippery underfoot, so it’s best to wear comfortable shoes.
Hashidate Limestone Cave has a course that takes about 40 minutes to go around. Along the course, you can see strangely shaped rocks of various shapes and colors. For example, stalactites hanging from the ceiling gradually grow as water droplets fall, containing limestone. Its growth rate is said to be approximately 0.1 mm per year. Therefore, the length of a stalactite can be said to represent its age. The longest stalactite at Hashidate Cave is approximately 4 meters long and is estimated to have been formed over 40,000 years. Also, the color of stalactites changes depending on the ingredients they contain. The white color is caused by calcareous matter, the red color is caused by iron, and the black color is caused by manganese.
Don’t miss the stalagmites rising from the floor. Stalagmites are formed when water droplets fall on the floor and solidify. The shape of a stalagmite changes depending on how water drops fall and the influence of wind. The tallest stalagmite in Hashidate Cave is approximately 3 meters high and is estimated to have been formed over 30,000 years. In addition, stalactites and stalagmites connected to form a pillar are called columnar stalactites. Columnar stalactites are extremely rare, and you can see about 30 of them at Hashidate Cave.
Motorcycle parking lot at Hashidate Cave
Hashidate Cave has free and paid parking for motorcycles. It’s located a little far from the entrance, but you can walk there in a few minutes. However, there are only a few parking spaces for motorcycles, so there may not be any spaces available during busy times. In that case, you will need to use a nearby paid parking lot. There is a paid parking lot near the entrance, but the fee is 100 yen. I feel like the paid parking lot is closer to a limestone cave.
Summary
This time, I took a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to Hashidate Cave in Saitama Prefecture. Hashidate Limestone Cave is one of the largest limestone caves in Japan and is said to have a history of approximately 10 million years. At Hashidate Limestone Cave, you can see about 200 types of strangely shaped rocks. There are also souvenir shops and restaurants selling Chichibu City specialties near Hashidate Cave.
This is the content of the article about touring by motorcycle from central Tokyo to Hashidate Cave in Saitama Prefecture. Hashidate Limestone Cave is a place where you can feel the wonder and beauty of nature. If you go by bike, you can enjoy the scenery along the way, and parking is free. If you are interested, please come and visit us.
Finally, add the English translation of “Hashidate Limestone Cave”. Hashidate Limestone Cave
