Cave Kannon

It took 50 years to build the cave, which was constructed entirely by hand with pickaxes and shovels beginning in 1919.
Inside the cave, 39 granite statues of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) are enshrined along with other stone sculptures, creating a mysterious world of ecstasy.

Between 1919 and 1964, Tokuzo Yamada (1885 - 1964), a kimono merchant in Takasaki City, personally dug the 400-m-long cave by hand.

The cave was developed as a tourist attraction and became a place of worship for visitors.

Yamada’s handiwork has created a cave with cinders from Mt. Asama and Sanba stones from Gunma Prefecture, and 39 statues of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) by master craftsman Takahashi Rakuzan are enshrined inside the cave.

Although this cave is sometimes mistaken for a limestone cave, it is actually an artificially created underground passageway. Yamada is said to have initially planned to expand the cave to a total length of 800 meters.

During the Pacific War, Yamada also considered using the cave as an air-raid shelter, and the army also used it as a storage facility for supplies.

On the same site, there is a Japanese garden called “Tokumeien” and the Yamada Memorial Museum. Furthermore, “Kannonzan Park” is located in the adjacent area, offering enjoyment and healing to visitors.

Cave Kannon

Construction of the cave began in 1919 by a kimono merchant named Tokuzo Yamada, and it took 50 years to complete. At that time, power and civil engineering machinery did not exist, and the construction was done entirely by hand using pickaxes and shovels. The tunnel inside the cave extends more than 400 meters, and the space with giant and famous stones was created to resemble a paradise on the other side of the world or a deep valley in the mountains. Thirty-nine granite statues of the Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, carved by the master stone carver Lezan over the course of his life, are enshrined in this space, creating a mysterious world.

Tokumei-en Garden

Tokumei-en Garden is a Japanese garden in the kaiyu style, and is considered to be one of the best in the northern Kanto region. Samba Stone, a famous stone from Gunma Prefecture, is mainly used, and stone structures and huge rocks collected from all over the country are placed here. The park is planted with natural red pines, black pines, satsuki (Japanese azalea), and other famous trees, allowing visitors to enjoy beautiful scenery from season to season. The garden is a wonderful place to enjoy seasonal changes such as rock azaleas, cherry blossoms, hydrangea, autumn leaves, and snowy landscapes.

Yamada Tokuzo Memorial Hall

The collection of Yamada Tokuzo includes many works by Kitazawa Rakuten, a pioneer of modern manga and famous for “Norakuro” and other works.