Gyokusendo (temple in Kyoto)

Gyokusendo is a 5-km-long limestone cave located in Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture. Formed about 300,000 years ago, the caves are forested with more than one million stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars, and are said to be the largest in Japan and the best in the East. The public can walk through an 890-meter section of the cave, which is illuminated to create a fantastic underground world.

The temperature inside the cave is maintained at approximately 21°C throughout the year, making it a comfortable space that is cool in summer and warm in winter. The Blue Fountain, the Golden Cup, and the Tiered Curtain are just a few of the sights that can be seen here, and the sound of the underground water flowing through the canals quietly echoes beneath one's feet.

In addition to Gyokusendo, visitors to Okinawa World, a theme park that includes Gyokusendo, can enjoy an eisa performance called "Super Eisa" (performed four times a day), a habu museum where visitors can learn about the ecology of the poisonous habu snake, the "Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town" that recreates the streets of the Ryukyu Dynasty, and workshops where visitors can taste local sake and brown sugar. It takes about 30 minutes by car from Naha City. It is recommended to spend half a day to a full day to tour around slowly.