Tourist attraction · Kirishima

Kumaso Cave

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Kumaso Cave (Kumaso-no-Ana, 熊襲の穴) is a small cave tucked into a wooded hillside above Myoken Onsen, in Hayatocho Kareigawa on the edge of Kirishima, Kagoshima. Local legend says it was the stronghold of Kawakami Takeru, chieftain of the Kumaso—the fierce people who once defied the early Yamato court—and the spot where the disguised hero Yamato Takeru is said to have struck him down, which is why the site is also called the "Cave of the Woman's Disguise."↗↗↗

The entrance forces you to stoop, but the interior opens into a surprisingly wide chamber—about 22 m deep, 10 m across and 6 m high—where the air stays cool and clear and an almost otherworldly hush settles in. On the walls glow vivid modern murals painted in 1990 by the Kagoshima-born artist Hagiwara Sadayuki: suns, moons and stars rendered in the style of ancient decorated burial mounds, so myth and cave fuse into a single mysterious atmosphere.↗↗↗

Admission is free and the cave sits close to the hot-spring inns of Myoken Onsen, making it an easy, off-the-beaten-path stop in the quiet hinterland behind Kirishima. Note that the site is currently closed temporarily following heavy-rain damage, so check that it has reopened before you set out.

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Tourist attraction · Kirishima

Kumaso Cave

Kirishima, JP 4.1 (295 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Kumaso Cave (Kumaso-no-Ana, 熊襲の穴) is a small cave tucked into a wooded hillside above Myoken Onsen, in Hayatocho Kareigawa on the edge of Kirishima, Kagoshima. Local legend says it was the stronghold of Kawakami Takeru, chieftain of the Kumaso—the fierce people who once defied the early Yamato court—and the spot where the disguised hero Yamato Takeru is said to have struck him down, which is why the site is also called the "Cave of the Woman's Disguise."↗↗↗

The entrance forces you to stoop, but the interior opens into a surprisingly wide chamber—about 22 m deep, 10 m across and 6 m high—where the air stays cool and clear and an almost otherworldly hush settles in. On the walls glow vivid modern murals painted in 1990 by the Kagoshima-born artist Hagiwara Sadayuki: suns, moons and stars rendered in the style of ancient decorated burial mounds, so myth and cave fuse into a single mysterious atmosphere.↗↗↗

Admission is free and the cave sits close to the hot-spring inns of Myoken Onsen, making it an easy, off-the-beaten-path stop in the quiet hinterland behind Kirishima. Note that the site is currently closed temporarily following heavy-rain damage, so check that it has reopened before you set out.

↗↗

A cave woven into a founding myth

Southern Kyushu was once the home of the Kumaso, described in Japan's oldest chronicles—written as 熊曽 in the Kojiki and 熊襲 in the Nihon Shoki—as warriors as fierce and brave as bears. Kumaso Cave is tied to the most famous episode of that rivalry: the mission of the prince-hero Yamato Takeru to subdue the south. As the story goes, he slipped into a banquet inside the cave disguised as a woman and overpowered the Kumaso chieftain Kawakami Takeru, whose awed rival brother gave him the name "Takeru of Yamato." That is why the cavern is sometimes still called Jochaku-no-Ana, the "Cave of the Woman's Clothes."↗↗↗

There is no grand shrine complex here, just the raw cave mouth and the legend it holds—which is part of its charm. It is a place to let an origin story from Japan's mythic age settle over you rather than a site crowded with interpretive signage.

Inside: a narrow mouth, a wide secret

The first chamber is the one you can enter. Crouch through the low opening and the space suddenly opens up—roughly 100 tatami mats' worth, about 22 m deep, 10 m wide and 6 m high. Inside, visitors consistently mention the cool, clean air and a deep, time-stopped silence. Behind it lies a much larger second chamber, once said to rival some 300 tatami mats, but it has been closed off for safety and is not accessible.↗↗↗

What makes this cave unusual is the art. In 1990 the painter Hagiwara Sadayuki, a native of Kagoshima, brightened the dark rock with murals modeled on the decorated burial mounds (kofun) of ancient Japan—suns, moons and stars glowing across the walls, giving the chamber a deliberately mystical, ceremonial air. Near the entrance stands "The Thoughts of the Gods" (Kamigami no Omoi), a sculpture made for the site, framing the visit between modern art and old myth.↗↗↗

Getting there and visiting

The cave sits on the mountainside roughly 200 m uphill to the west of Myoken Onsen, one of the long-established hot-spring clusters at the foot of the Kirishima range. By car it is about 20 minutes from the Mizobe-Kagoshima Airport Interchange, some 15 minutes from JR Hayato Station, and around 20 minutes from the Hayato-nishi Interchange on the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway. A local bus toward the onsen lets you alight near the Ishiharaso inn, a short walk from the hot-spring lodges up to the cave.↗↗↗

A shared, free car park of around 40 spaces operates alongside the Myoken Ishiharaso ryokan, and the cave itself is free to view, open year-round without fixed hours—so you can pace the visit entirely to yourself. Pair it with a soak in the Myoken or Anraku springs, or with the historic wooden stations and river valleys around Kareigawa, for a quiet half-day away from the busier Kirishima shrines and onsen towns.↗↗↗

Good to know

The path from the parking area to the cave climbs over fairly steep steps and some uneven, crumbling ground, so wear sturdy, comfortable shoes and watch your footing. The interior is dim and low at the mouth, which suits the mysterious mood but rewards care when ducking in and out.↗

Kumaso Cave is listed as temporarily closed after heavy rain in August 2025 affected the site. Facilities were always simple—free, self-guided entry and shared parking—so confirm the current status and road conditions with the Kirishima tourist office or the Myoken hot-spring inns before making a special trip.↗

What makes it special

01

The show cave of an ancient legend: stronghold of the Kumaso chieftain slain by the disguised hero Yamato Takeru—so it is also called the "Cave of the Woman's Disguise."↗↗

02

A stooped entrance gives way to a wide, hushed chamber about 22 m deep, glowing with 1990 sun-moon-star murals in the style of ancient decorated burial mounds.↗↗↗

03

Free, self-guided and open year-round, on a wooded slope just above the hot springs of Myoken Onsen on the edge of Kirishima.↗↗

04

Currently closed temporarily after August 2025 heavy-rain damage—verify it has reopened before you visit.↗

A little planning goes a long way

Wear good shoes: the climb from the car park uses steep steps and some unstable, crumbling ground, and you must crouch to enter the cave mouth.↗
Drive about 20 minutes from the Mizobe-Kagoshima Airport IC (or roughly 15 minutes from JR Hayato Station); free parking for some 40 cars is shared with the Myoken Ishiharaso inn.↗↗
Admission is free and viewing is open all day year-round, so combine it with a soak at Myoken or Anraku Onsen and the old wooden stations around Kareigawa.↗↗
The larger second chamber behind the first is sealed and cannot be entered.↗
Because the site is temporarily closed after heavy rain, double-check status and road conditions with the Kirishima tourist office or the Myoken inns before setting out.↗

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.

Finding your next place…

Kumaso Cave

Why go?

More of Japan: Beppu

Finding your next place…

Kumaso Cave

Why go?

More of Japan: Beppu

A cave woven into a founding myth

Inside: a narrow mouth, a wide secret

Getting there and visiting

Good to know

What makes it special

A little planning goes a long way

About this guide