Last Updated: Feb 23, 2023

The Hundred Caves of Yoshimi

My Visit to Japan’s “Cappadocia”

Let’s face it. Saitama gets a pretty bad rap. Known to many Tokyoites as little more than a lame bedroom community for the capital, the prefecture is rarely something that foreign tourists even consider visiting. As a big fan of Saitama, this is a real shame. You see, dotted all across Tokyo’s northern neighbor are a whole host of hidden gems. Of course, chief among these is my beloved historic town of Kawagoe yet this is only the very tip of the iceberg. Honestly speaking, I am continually shocked by the depth of gems within Saitama Prefecture. Really, when you stop to think about it, it makes one question who the hell came up with the mainstream travel itineraries. Senso-ji? No thanks, I’ll pass. I’d rather not lose an eye to a selfie stick right now…

Now, as you probably have guessed, today we’ll be taking a look at yet another site in Saitama. Known as the Hundred Caves of Yoshimi (Yoshimi Hyakuana in Japanese), this collection of manmade tombs is obviously quite ancient. While scholars aren’t exactly sure on the exact dates, the evidence that they have excavated pegs these hollows at having been dug sometime during the later half of Japan’s Kofun period (about 300–538). While locals have long since known of the existence of the Hundred Caves…