Nippara Limestone Cave

Nippara is the limestone cave Tokyo people usually mean when they say there is a cave in Tokyo. It sits in the Ogawa valley, a side valley of the Nippara River, off the Nippara Kaido, a narrow road that climbs about 9 km from the main road near Okutama station to the Nippara settlement. Inside it is about 11°C all year, so bring a layer in summer. The walk through takes about 40 minutes on lit paths, past the Byakue Kannon formation, the toad-shaped Gama-iwa and a chamber whose ceiling disappears into the dark. The newer section, with its dense stalagmites and columns, is the part worth slowing down for. The cave was a site of mountain worship before it was a tourist stop, and Tokyo has designated it a natural monument. On rainy days and the day after heavy rain, water drips steadily from the ceiling, and the cave's own site suggests a light rain jacket. Payment is cash only. The trip is the real effort: about two hours of trains from Shinjuku, usually with a change at Ome (some weekend trains run through), then a bus up the valley. Go on a weekday if you can. On weekdays some buses stop about 5 minutes' walk from the entrance, and the road and car park are quiet.