Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park — Attraction in Mine

I figure it is JHeaven When I first arrived in Yamaguchi prefecture about 20 years ago I was unimpressed by Akiyoshidai since it looked like Wales, in the UK, where I used to live, except on a smaller scale. But after living in Japan for most of my life and for the past 20 years in Yamaguchi Prefecture, I am now aware of how weird this place is. One can not usually go up a Japanese mountain to find oneself in Wales! Weirder still is that Akiyoshidai is a seabed that has been moved to the top of a mountain in Japan. The limestone plateau is littered with fossilized coral, as well as lots of fossilized sea creatures. There were as yet still no fish in the ancient, ancient time when Akiyoshidai was a sea bed but there were spiral shaped shell fish, coral, and relatives of the horseshoe crab that still live in the Seto Inland Sea. Thus, ancient Japanese folks that used to live in this region would also have been aware that Akiyoshidai is a sea bed up in the air.

For reasons unknown the High Heaven Plain that is the Valhalla of Japanese mythology is called Takamagahara, which means both, "high plane of heaven" and "high sea plane." So, from the fossilized coral (which can be found in abundance near Suooshima in the Seto Inland Sea), fossilized shellfish, and fossilized horseshoe crab-like ancient fauna, the the ancient Japanese visiting this highland would have realised that Akiyoshidai is indeed a "high sea plane" - a seabed raised 300 metres into the sky - and may have named it accordingly, and revered it as a very special place suitable to the domicile of their Himiko (Sun priestess?) queen. So, I think that Akiyoshidai Quasi National Park may have been the Jheaven featured in Japanese mythology. It is also a weird and yet pleasant place...

Worth the trip! Not brightly lit in the caves so it actually still feels like a cave. My nearly 5 year old child was able to make it from the entrance to the elevator with no issues. Maybe not so interesting for a child but we got through it ok. It is a little slippery with lots of stairs so definitely would make sure to walk slowly. We didn’t go past the elevators to the newer area as it wasn’t recommended by the tourist desk staff. Would love to do the adventure tour but unfortunately wasn’t available for little kids. The park above with all the rocks was like being in a different country. Definitely doesn’t look like a typical Japanese landscape. There’s a little cafe to rest and snack. The 30 cards with illustrations of different types of rocks and information on surrounding geographies were free to bring home and very cute. The cards aren’t available in English but interesting to read if you...

A lady broke my balls for my dog! My dog have huge suit say" service dog" she was arrogant; I was double arrogant! We pass but ruin the hours; advise for everybody: no come back walk from outside the cave is far as flup! But a mexican sign say 1.5 km! I say Mexican because mexican are famous for the imprecision! I didnt know also japan was so imprecision. Are at list 3/4 km walking. Expensive entry; the cave is not so beautifull; I saw caves million time better; plus a kitch robot talk and make so noise; light inside cave very low! I...