Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [558]
CAR
Renting a car is an excellent way to get from Kumamoto and onward to Aso and beyond. The service at Toyota Renta Lease (311-0100; http://rent.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html; 1-14-28 Haruka, Kumamoto-ekimae; 12hr from ¥5250; 8am-8pm) is excellent, despite little English being spoken.
TRAM
Kumamoto’s tram service reaches the major sights. Fares range from ¥130 to ¥200. A day pass (¥500) allows unlimited travel, and can be bought onboard.
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YAMAGA & KIKUCHI ONSEN
0968
The pretty hot-spring towns of Yamaga Onsen (population 57,300) and Kikuchi Onsen (population 51,620) – northeast of Kumamoto – come alive during the spectacular Yamaga Chōchin Matsuri held on 15 and 16 August. Taiko drums signal the beginning of this famous lantern festival in rustic Yamaga Onsen. For two nights the women of the town, clad in colourful summer kimonos, dance through the streets to the sound of shamisen, wearing washi (handmade paper) lanterns on their heads. Yamaga Tourism Office (43-2952) can help with accommodation and information.
The Yamaga Cycling Terminal (; 43-1136; www.city.yamaga.kumamoto.jp/kankoh/02-shizen/02-15saikuru.html, in Japanese; r per person ¥2940; ), situated on a scenic traffic-shielded 34km cycling route from Kumamoto via Ueki, has communal tatami rooms and baths. Meals are available.
Kikuchi Information Centre (23-1155) near the bus station has maps and brochures in English. The hot-springs ryokan, minshuku and a number of hotels are clustered together on a quiet maze of streets, downhill from an imposing statue of a lord on horseback. The delightfully rustic Iwakura Ryokan (27-0026; www.iwakura0026.com, in Japanese; 2224-8 Omomi, Kikuchi-shi; r with 2 meals per person from ¥17,000), also has a riverside onsen (¥500) for daytrippers.
Outside town, Kikuchi Gorge (; donation ¥100; mid-Apr–Nov), formed by Mt Aso’s outer edge, has walking trails that follow the Kikuchi-gawa’s cool waters through groves of elm and camphor.
Getting There & Around
Buses run from JR Kumamoto Station and Kumamoto Kōtsū bus centre to Yamaga Onsen (¥870, 70 minutes) and Kikuchi Onsen (¥820, 70 minutes). For a day trip to Yamaga Onsen, ask for an ichi nichi furii joshaken (round-trip pass ¥1200). Frequent buses run Monday to Saturday (¥430, 30 minutes) between the two onsen towns.
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ASO-SAN AREA
0967 / pop 29,370
In the centre of Kyūshū, halfway between Kumamoto and Beppu, lies the gigantic and very beautiful Aso-san volcano caldera. There has been a series of eruptions over the past 300,000 years, but the explosion that formed the outer crater about 90,000 years ago was monstrous. The resultant crater has a 128km circumference and now accommodates towns, villages and trainlines.
It’s the largest active caldera in the world. A 1979 eruption of Naka-dake killed a woman on her honeymoon. The last major blast was in 1993, but the summit is frequently off-limits due to toxic gas emissions. Check with the Tourist Information Centre (below) for updates. The summit may close for a day or just an hour, depending on wind conditions.
Orientation & Information
It’s hard at first to get a sense of the crater’s shape and scale. Best explored by car, the area offers some fabulous drives, diverse scenery and peaceful retreats. Routes 57, 265 and 325 make a circuit of the outer caldera, and the JR Hōhi line runs across the northern section. If you’re driving, Daikanbō Lookout is one of the best places to take it all in, but it’s often crowded with tour buses. Shiroyama Tembōdai on the Yamanami Hwy is a nice alternative. Aso is the main town, but there are others, including Takamori, to the south.
Next to JR Aso Station, the helpful Tourist Information Centre (34-0751; 9am-6pm) offers free road and hiking maps and local information. Coin lockers are available. A postal ATM is 100m south, across Hwy 57.
Sights
ASO-GOGAKU
The Five Mountains