Karst stalactites (Ehime Prefecture) [Famous Stones of Japan]

Karst Stalactite

Karst stalactites

A karst plateau stretches across the border between Ehime and Kochi prefectures.
Karst is a calcareous land where rain falls on the ground and dissolves the limestone, creating spaces and forming limestone caves.
Ehime Prefecture has a very long cave that stretches over 500m.
This calcareous land is said to be the result of ancient coral reefs that did not fossilize when southern Ehime Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture were still located near the equator, leaving only the calcareous remains.
The fossilized form of this is Tosa cherry blossoms.
It has become one of the 100 most famous caves in Japan and is currently designated as a natural monument of Ehime Prefecture, so it is no longer possible to collect raw stones.

A karst plateau spreads across the border between Ehime and Kochi prefectures. Karst is a calcareous land, and when rain falls on the land, the limestone melts, creating spaces that become limestone caves. Ehime prefecture has a very long cave that stretches 500m. It is said that this calcareous land is the result of ancient coral reefs that did not fossilize when southern Ehime and Kochi prefectures were still near the equator, leaving only the calcareous material.
The fossilized form is Tosa Sakura. It is one of the 100 most famous caves in Japan, and is currently designated as a natural monument of Ehime prefecture, and it is no longer possible to collect raw stones.