Kirishima · JP

Kumaso Cave

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.