I went to a short trip for coolness

  It was extremely hot today (7/29), so I wanted to go somewhere cool.

 This is Sekigahara Cave in Sekigahara Town, Gifu Prefecture.　In an exaggerated way, a time tunnel of nature, history and legends that is still alive today. The total length of the cave is 518m and it takes about 20 minitues to walk through.  

 I once went there long time ago when I was in Junior high school by a bicycle. I remembered it was a long distance for me. At that time, believe it or not, this cave was run by a famous cosmetics company. I also remembered there was an amusement park nearby which bore the name of the company.

↑This is immediately after entering the cave, like an underground tunnel.　 It is cool like another world. 

I'd like to show from the beginning, the welcome sign says ’Odd sight, Sekigahara limestone cave' 

Entrance to the cave. The temperature inside is kept at 15℃ throughout the year. So, it's very cool and refreshing.

The middle point of the cave. The cavity extends up to about 10m.

There are also places where we can see the fossils of sea lilies that had flourished about 250 million years ago. But, this is a stalactite hanging from the ceiling surface of a cave.

Rainbow trouts are swimming in the stream of groundwater in the cave.

 After that, as I was driving around wondering if there was anything else to see, I came across the Gifu Sekigahara Battlefield Memorial Museum, which newly opened in October 2020. This is a prefectural memorial museum (experience facility) related to the Battle of Sekigahara, the renowned and decisive Battle in Japanese history which took place on this very site in the year 1600.

 I heard that this museum is very well equipped, but unfortunately it was closed on Monday.

 When it grand opened, my friend from my junior high school days or my younger sister and her husband visited right away. I heard at that time, it was very crowded, so reservations in advance were required to visit.

 As a matter of fact, then I visited Nangu-shrine. I posted the blog about the Furin of this shrine last time.

The sound of Furin makes us a little cooler in hot summer. (mikepon.blogspot.com)