🌋 Aso – A spectacular spot in Kumamoto where you can feel the breath of the earth

Located almost in the center of Kumamoto Prefecture, Aso is a treasure trove of nature with one of the world's largest calderas. This area, with its majestic landscape that makes it seem as if the earth is alive, is a popular tourist destination not only for domestic but also international travelers. ⸻ 🏞 The Magnificent Five Peaks of Aso and the Miracle of the Caldera The symbol of Aso is the "Five Peaks of Aso" that line the center - Mt. Neko, Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima. Surrounding them is one of the world's largest calderas, with a diameter of about 25 km. This landscape was created by a huge eruption about 90,000 years ago, and its scale makes you feel the heartbeat of the earth. ⸻ 🌋 Mt. Naka Crater - See the power of an active volcano up close The most popular spot in Aso is the "Mt. Naka Crater," which is still active today. If the conditions are good, you can see the emerald green crater lake up close. There are times when entry restrictions are imposed due to the influence of volcanic gas, but it is a special place where you can experience the power and mystery of nature. ⸻ 🐄 Aso's grasslands and grazing culture The green grasslands that spread from spring to autumn are like a painting Of course. In order to avoid overlapping with other blogs, I added a more personal and poetic tone while finishing the text to convey the essence of Aso. Below is a highly original introduction to Aso: ⸻ 🔥 Aso ── A place where you can hear the heartbeat of the earth The moment you stand in Aso, something begins to quietly pulsate deep in your chest. The vastness of the sky and the smell of the wind give you the feeling that you are being embraced by the "earth itself". This land, which spreads quietly but magnificently inside Kumamoto, is a remnant of the time when the god of fire once shook the earth. The Aso Caldera, created by an eruption about 90,000 years ago, is like a cavity for the earth to take a deep breath. The "scale of time" that we tend to forget when living in a city is conveyed at a glance here. ⸻ 🏔 More than mountains, more like myths The five peaks of Aso are not just mountains. They are connected together as if they have personalities, and from afar, they look like statues of Buddha sleeping on their backs. Takadake and Nekodake in particular have a certain power that "speaks to you." ⸻ 🌫 Encountering silence on the edge of the crater The Nakadake crater. It is more like a place where a silent ritual is held than a tourist spot. The sulfurous smoke, the smell of volcanic ash, the distant roaring sound. The human voice suddenly feels out of place, perhaps because we instinctively sense that the earth is still "alive." ⸻ 🌿 The landscape of Aso is moving The grasslands of Aso look completely different depending on the season. In spring, young grass sprouts on the pitch black earth after the mountain burning, and in summer it spreads like a deep green sea. Cows are released, horses graze on the grass, and the wind runs through. The landscape here is not still. It is always moving, little by little, as if breathing. ⸻ 🛤 It was more like a reunion than a journey Even though it was my first time visiting, it felt nostalgic somehow. Rather than a journey, it was a strange feeling, as if I was reunited with a place I had known for a long time. That was Aso. Aso not as a tourist destination, but as a place where the land, people, and time are one.