What karrenfeld means
Karrenfeld is terrain on a limestone plateau where exposed limestone has been dissolved by rainwater and the remnants stand up from the ground like pillars or spires. The Chugoku-Shikoku branch of the Japan Society of Engineering Geology describes it as exposed limestone attacked by solution, the undissolved parts projecting from the soil to give a scene like gravestones or a flock of sheep.
White and grey rocks gathered in the grassland make one of the defining views of a karst plateau. Their surfaces are often scored with small channels cut by running rainwater. It is one of the elements of karst along with dolines and limestone caves.
Reading the records and the landscape
Spelling varies in records. For Akiyoshidai in Mine, Yamaguchi, a Special Natural Monument, the Agency for Cultural Affairs writes the word in two slightly different katakana forms ending in -do, while Mine City notes a fine karrenfeld at Jigokudai. Articles use the common spelling and should be aware that the record differs.
On site, look for places where white rocks protrude from the grass, singly or in dense clusters. The grooves on their surfaces and the hollows between them are also the work of solution.
References
- 秋吉台｜文化遺産オンライン
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/173085
- 石灰岩の空洞はどうしてできるのか｜日本応用地質学会中国四国支部
- https://jseg.or.jp/chushikoku/assets/file/faq/1-07.pdf
- 秋吉台｜美祢市
- https://www2.city.mine.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/hogoka/bunkazai/bunkazai/kunishitei/tokubetsu/1530.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27