This picture is “Akiyoshidou,” which is a limestone cave. Akiyoshidou is in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is in the west of Japan. It is located 100-200 meters underground, under “Akiyoshidai,” which is made of limestone, and its size is about 1 kilometer. It is the biggest limestone cave in Japan. Therefore, there are many interesting stalactites. The shape in this picture is called “Hyakumai-zara,” which means one hundred plates in Japanese.
My younger brother is working in Yamaguchi as a veterinarian for fish. In 2018, he invited my husband and me there. When I entered the cave, I was very surprised. The cave was very large and spectacular, and it looked like space. There were many beautiful stalactites which have been created over thousands or hundreds of millions of years. I felt the history and energy of the Earth. It reminded me that “now” is the result of stacking the history of the Earth.
Mayuka Kamesaki
04/20/2022