[Aso Mountain Travel Guide] Experience the Power and Grandeur of Nature at a Volcano

The Kusasenri Area is located slightly west of the center of the caldera at Aso Mountain.
Also known as Kusasenrigahama, it is famous for attracting many visitors. Its main highlight is the vast grassland, where cows and other animals graze.
The colorful scenery changes with the seasons, creating a landscape that contrasts sharply with the barren image often associated with active volcanoes.
There are also plenty of places to eat, where you can enjoy Kumamoto specialties such as horse meat and Akaushi beef.
There is even a café where you can buy souvenirs, making it a great place to rest after sightseeing.

At the foot of Nakadake, which has the crater, lies the Aso Sanjo Area.
In addition to Aso Sanjo Terminal, the arrival point for buses coming from Kumamoto Airport (Aso Kumamoto Airport), you can also shop for unique souvenirs at Aso Sanjo Chamise.
It is a place you should stop by at least once before leaving Aso Mountain.
The biggest highlight of the Aso Sanjo Area is Saigandenji Okunoin Temple.
Aso Mountain has long been associated with prayers for love and relationships, and it is said to bring blessings such as success in finding a good match.
You can worship in a location unlike anywhere else, which is sure to make for a memorable experience.

As the name suggests, the Nakadake Crater Area is the crater section of Nakadake, one of the peaks that make up Aso Mountain.
Seeing the crater of Nakadake is one of the area’s biggest highlights and could even be called the signature experience of Aso Mountain.
It is a rare place where you can feel the wildness and power of nature with your whole body.
That is because the crater of Nakadake is still an active volcano today.
For that reason, access may be restricted depending on volcanic activity, so be sure to check the latest information.
A road leads right up to the crater, making it easy to get close. It is even said that you can visit the crater in high heels.

Nakadake (1,506m), located in the center of Aso Mountain, is a volcano that is still highly active today, and you can see its crater up close as it vigorously emits smoke.
Of Nakadake’s seven craters, the one currently active and open for viewing is Crater No. 1, and you can go close to the giant eruption crater, which has a circumference of Approx. 4km.
When the gas clears, you may be able to see an emerald-green crater lake at the bottom, filled with strongly acidic water at 50–60°C.

Daikanbo is located on the northern side of the caldera rim, or outer rim mountains, and offers views of the massive collapsed terrain.
From this high point at 936m above sea level, you can take in sweeping views of Aso’s towns and fields, the Aso Gogaku peaks, and even the Kuju mountain range.
The view of the Aso Gogaku from here is said to resemble a reclining Buddha, which is why the peaks are sometimes called the Nirvana Statue.
On early mornings from autumn to winter, you may also see the mystical sight of a sea of clouds spreading out below.

A vast grassland stretching across the northern foothills of Eboshidake, one of the Aso Gogaku peaks that form the core of Aso Mountain.
Since it has been celebrated by many poets since ancient times and even appears in textbooks, many people likely picture Kusasenrigahama when they think of Aso.
Kusasenrigahama is the site of a crater formed Approx. 30,000 years ago at an elevation of Approx. 1,140m, with a grassland measuring Approx. 1km in diameter and two ponds formed by water collecting in the double crater remains.
With smoking Nakadake in the background, the sight of horses quietly grazing across the boundless grassland gives you a sense of the cosmic power of nature.

Shirakawa Springs is one of the springs in the Minamiaso Village spring group, where underground water from the Aso Caldera wells up.
It is the source of the Shirakawa River, a first-class river that flows through Kumamoto City, and is a famous spring that was selected as one of Japan’s 100 Remarkable Waters by the Environment Agency, now the Ministry of the Environment.
Shirakawa Springs is located within the grounds of Yoshimi Shrine, which enshrines Mizuhanome-no-Kami, the guardian deity of the spring water, and was also ordered protected by the Hosokawa family, lords of the Kumamoto domain.
Water kept at a constant temperature of 14°C gushes out at a rate of 60 tons per minute, and you can see the sand at the bottom swirling as the water springs up.
The highly transparent water reflects gradients of light, creating scenery of exceptional beauty

A shrine dedicated to Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto, the deity of the creation of Aso, as its main deity, along with 12 family deities.
It is the head shrine of Approx. 500 branch shrines throughout Japan. Its history is said to span over 2,000 years, and through its fusion with volcano worship that regards the crater of Aso Mountain as the sacred object, it became the ichinomiya of Higo Province, a shrine of the highest rank.
There is no record of exactly when the shrine was first established here.
The current shrine buildings were rebuilt from 1835 to 1850 through donations from the Kumamoto domain.

The Aso Caldera is vast, and its outer rim mountains stretch for Approx. 128km around it.
Running for 45km along the northwestern ridgeline is the scenic road made up of Prefectural Route 339 Kita Gairinzan Ozu Line and Route 45 Aso Park Kikuchi Line, commonly known as Milk Road.
It was originally a farm road used to transport milk from ranches along the route, which is why it came to be known by the nickname Milk Road.
As the name suggests, green grasslands like pastureland continue along the roadside and trace the ridgeline of the outer rim mountains.

A مخروط-shaped volcano at the foot of Kishimadake, one of the Aso Gogaku peaks that form the core of Aso Mountain.
It is a small mountain with a height of Approx. 80m and is said to have been formed by an eruption Approx. 3,300 years ago.
Its slopes are covered with grassland, and from spring to summer the mountain is dyed a beautiful green.

Of the Takamori Yusui Tunnel, which has a total length of Approx. 2km and is known for its abundant spring water, Approx. 550m has been turned into a park.
Today, part of the tunnel has been developed as a park, where you can walk along the tunnel pathway, and there is also the Yusuikan Water Museum, where you can learn about the importance of water and the history of the tunnel.

A zoo at the foot of Aso Mountain, where animals from around the world live on a site of Approx. 300,000㎡.
In addition to hands-on animal experiences, performance shows by the animals are also popular.
It is also known as the home of popular TV animal stars, including Pan-kun the chimpanzee.

A health-focused resort produced by wellness experts, with a vast site of Approx. 1,000,000m² featuring a wide range of facilities for both adults and children.
It is packed with places to enjoy all day, from exercise facilities and an interactive park to hot springs, gourmet dining, and hands-on activity facilities, and you can also stay overnight in dome-shaped hotels set in the forest.

A local cuisine restaurant in Aso located just a short walk from Aso Shrine.
To let guests enjoy the blessings of Aso’s natural environment, it mainly uses seasonal local ingredients such as locally grown vegetables and serves them using traditional cooking methods.
The menu is diverse, featuring both Japanese and Western dishes such as beef cutlet rice boxes, sukiyaki, soba, and the local specialty dago-jiru dumpling soup.

A teppanyaki restaurant specializing in Akaushi beef, located in the Monzenmachi shopping street near Aso Shrine.
It serves hearty dishes made with Akaushi beef, a local specialty of Aso.
The most popular item is Akaushi Garlic Rice. This appetizing dish features spiced Akaushi steak on top of garlic rice. The moderately marbled steak pairs perfectly with rock salt and wasabi.

A Western-style confectionery shop in the Monzenmachi shopping street in front of Aso Shrine, run by third-generation pastry chef and owner Masafumi Tano.
Tano Shu, created by Mr. Tano, who is particular about fresh cream, is the shop’s signature specialty.
Custard made with pure fresh cream melts out from inside the cream puff pastry topped with fragrant almonds.