The objective of this research is to clarify the mechanical properties and self-healing ability of the Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ) around rock caverns in clastic-rock. Observations of nearly one hundred closed roadways up to fifty years old, which can be regarded as very severe EDZs with no initial sealability and are up to 300m deep in clastic-rock, were made at the Kushiro Coal Mine, Japan, to accomplish the objective. Most old roadways were closed, though a few remain open. Closure of old roadways was mainly due to roof deflection and/or floor heave. Large plastic deformations dominated; however, severe fractures were seldom observed in closed old roadways. Rayleigh wave velocity and hydraulic conductivity in the closed old roadways were in the range of 0.3–1.2km/s and 5×10−7–1×10−7 m/s, respectively, and those in EDZ and EdZ (Excavation disturbed Zone) around recently excavated roadways were 1.1–1.8km/s and 1×10−8–5×10−8 m/s, respectively. The extent of EDZ around the present tailgate was in the range of 1–5m. Mechanical excavation and prevention from water are suggested as the key points for long-term maintenance of rock repositories. Pressurization from inside the cavern to decrease the permeability of EDZ is proposed for maintenance of rock repositories in medium-hard clastic-rock masses at similar depths for long periods.