Niimi Double Cave Adventure: The Mystical Limestone Caves of Ikura-do and Maki-do

Niimi, in Okayama Prefecture, is a treasure trove of limestone caves nurtured by a karst plateau. On this course, explore two famous caves in a single day: Ikura-do (井倉洞), one of the largest in the Chugoku region, and the fantastical Maki-do (満奇洞), associated with the poet Yosano Akiko. In the morning, take a deep breath at Kinukake Falls (絹掛の滝), which looks like a band of silk, then head to Ikura-do, which opens its mouth in a massive cliff about 240 meters high. At midday, enjoy a lunch of the branded wagyu Chiya beef (千屋牛) in central Niimi along with an art break at the museum, and in the afternoon head to the Yume no Kyuden of Maki-do, where a vermilion bridge spans an underground lake. Finish up hunting for souvenirs at a roadside station in the mountain village. Since the cave interiors stay around 15 degrees Celsius year-round, you can walk comfortably whether it is hot or cold outside, in a day that lets you feel the earth's sculptural beauty with your whole body.