Aso

Aso, a small farmtown in eastern Kumamoto Prefecture, is the site of the world's largest volcanic caldera. Although the once monolithic volcano exploded into a number of independent volcanoes close to 200,000 years ago, the peak of Naka-dake (sometimes simply referred to as "Aso-san") is still active, as can be seen in the pictures below.

I stayed in a "minshuku," a traditional guesthouse generally doubling as a private residence. This particular minshuku was located on a farm that primarily grew corn and raised cattle.



The town of Aso only contains a couple of restaurants and a handful of souvenir shops. The name of this store--when transliterated--reads "Po-po shop." Note the appropriately placed "Police" sign in the upper left of the photo. Couldn't have done it better myself. Even better is the hiragana to the left of "Po-pop shop" on the same sign: "Omiyage & Kara-age," or "Souvenirs & Fried Chicken." A dynamic combo, I must say.

Below is Komezuka, the "hill of rice," just north of Aso-san. Legend has it that the depressed peak was formed when folk hero Takeiwatatsu-no-mikoto grabbed a handful of rice for his starving village. I have no idea how it actually formed, and no one in Aso seemed to know either.

A couple of views across Kusasenri, the large plateau in the center of caldera dotted with lakes. Roughly 60,000 years ago, the entire caldera was filled with rainwater--a diameter of over 20 km--but today, only sparse lakes remain.



A view of Naka-dake, Aso's active peak, across Kusasenri.




A buddha in front of a shrine at the foot of Naka-dake. Those aren't clouds in the background...

A sulfuric mixture collects at the base of the cliffs around Naka-dake. Many Japanese tourists are holding their nose and groaning, but I kind of like the smell.

After a steep ascent, I reach the top of Naka-dake. Though it may look mediocre in the pictures, keep in mind that it is over 1506 meters high, so that is no mere hole in the ground you're looking at.