Abukuma Caves

i highly recommend this place. we went ther on yearend vacation still not crowded at all. cave history is so amazing. and walking though it was very exciting. there are some path which is bit complex than others and one can choose which path they want to take. we went with very young baby(one is 2years old and another is 7months). it is not imposible to visit here with baby but quite tough on some point. but my older daughter really enjoyed.

Highly recommend the cave walk. May not be too suitable if you do have difficulty in tight spaces and low visibility / slippery floors.

Gorgeous. Amazing place to visit. In the summer, The temperature inside is around 15 C. So it's advisable to bring warm clothes. Some places are slippery. Be ready and beer careful. It's good to go during uncrowded period. Because visitors have to go in queue in this cave. So you can't wait if there are lots of people waiting behind. Several places are very big caves. Maybe bigger than normal 2 story house. You can wait and take some special photos. Outside the are shops to buy souvenirs, drinks or to have meal. Ticket price for adult is around thousand yen as I remember. It's worthy. Good luck

Totally fun place to explore, although it tends to be crowded. The extra cost exploration course is worth it but a word of caution: some spaces are extremely narrow and low. Please take heed of the physical restrictions as well as possible claustrophobia. The normal course is more friendly on a general level.

First time to visit and had a lot of fun there. The limestone caves is cool with the right lightings. There is also a lavender farm that you can pick lavender for 500¥

Amazing, it's like out is this world, they did well with the lights, it's very safe as well, you can diffrent routes from easy to hard, it's quite cold inside, jacket is a must

Abukma Caves in Fukushima is a way to spend a delightful day with family or friends. Going through the natural limestone cavern gives the feeling of being in another time or space or even The Batcave (fortunately no bats were seen). There is even a place to safely leave your pets if they are with you. My only quibble is that during the exploration of the cave is there is a split inside for a normal route and and an adventurous route, which cost an extra 200yen. We took the adventure route which goes low and get narrow in some places. Overall is was a fun and lively experience and seeing the natural rock formations is a sight to behold.

TLDR: it was fantastic and worth the trip. Wear a fleece because you will get dripped on and it’s very chilly in the cave. If you can usually fit into tight spaces, take the extra ¥200 route. Take the time to visit the nearby observatory. Pro tips: Suica cards don’t work on this stop of the JR train line, and Kammata’s train ticket booth is only open a few hours per day, so purchase a paper ticket to get there and expect to stop by a ticket window somewhere else down the line on your way back. There are coin lockers outside the cave’s ticket booth. You’ll get your ¥100 back if you use the small locker. The observatory gift shop has some items that are identical to the cave gift shop, but a few hundred yen cheaper. Full version: Absolutely would go again. We live in Japan and took a day-trip to visit the cave. Had no idea it was such a picturesque location. We took trains to Kammata station and then took the 5 minute taxi drive to the cave. For us the trip was easy. 2 adults, plus an 8 year old and an 11 year old. We paid for the extra ¥200 cave excursion. We had to squat low and shuffle a few times to get past one or two very low-hanging cave features, but it really added to the adventure. For the non-shape-shifters, stick to the regular route. Expect stairs, some narrow passages, and damp floors. You will have to touch the cave walls in places in order to get through safely. The cave routes have an amazing variety of formations, and plenty of them. It didn’t matter where we looked, there was something to see. There are a few places in the cave where you can push a button to add lighting, and there is a special area where the lighting cycles through phases. It’s all done in excellent taste, and the cave and surrounding area is extremely well maintained. You can go at your own pace. We spent about 1.5 hours in the cave. The cave exit is separate from the entrance, and guides you out to a Japanese garden with a fountain and koi pond. If you go early you can pay ¥100 to feed the fish. Not far from the garden is the gift shop, with a restaurant above it. The food was excellent and quickly served, and the view was incredible, with giant picture windows that let us watch the weather roll over the mountains, the small playground, and the lavender garden growing on the slope. Lots of fun things in the gift shop, but do check out the observatory shop first for the best deals.