Trip to Miyazaki & Aso Day 3-2: Aso

Here is Part 2 of the final day of our trip to Miyazaki and Aso!

After leaving the mystical and breathtaking Takachiho Gorge around noon, we headed toward Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Initially, Aso wasn’t part of our itinerary. The plan was to head back to Miyazaki from Takachiho and fly home from Miyazaki Airport. However, when I took a closer look at the map, I thought, “Wait, isn’t Aso actually pretty close?!” So, we changed our route on the fly.

By the way, Aso is a symbol of Kumamoto, the “Land of Fire,” and Mount Aso is a double volcano. I used to mistakenly think Mount Aso was a single peak, but I was wrong (haha). It doesn’t refer to just one mountain, but rather a group of peaks extending east to west, centered around the Aso Five Peaks (Aso Gogaku): Mt. Taka, Mt. Neko, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima. Sometimes, the outer rim (caldera) and the basin are also included under the name.

I actually visited Aso about 20 years ago. Back then, I lived in Nagano Prefecture, and I drove all the way to Aso from there! It was a relaxed, spontaneous road trip with several nights sleeping in the car along the way, and Aso was the final destination. When I first arrived, I was completely blown away by the grand scenery. It felt so open and vast, with clear views all around—it just felt amazing. I also remember getting so excited seeing cattle and horses grazing right by the side of the road.

Since my car had Nagano license plates, a few locals asked me, “Did you really drive all the way from Nagano?” When I said yes, they all said the same thing: “Compared to Nagano, Aso probably isn’t all that impressive to you, huh?”

It’s true that the Japan Alps in Nagano are rugged, grand, high-altitude, and much deeper. But honestly, Aso is incredible in its own right! They are completely different types of mountains, so I felt there was no need to compare them. Both are magnificent natural treasures Japan can be proud of.

For this trip, I wanted to show my child the amazing views that had touched my heart back then, so I drove while tracing my vague memories from 20 years ago.

From Takachiho Gorge, we took Route 325 toward Aso, aiming first for Kusasenrigahama.
Taking Route 111 along the way would have been the shorter option, but I wanted to show my child Kometzuka—a charming, bright green volcanic cone—so we kept going straight. We turned right onto Route 299, and then right again when it hit Route 298. This route kept Kometzuka on our left.

As we drove, I pointed it out—”Look, there it is!”—for a quick sightseeing moment from the car. Because of that, I totally forgot to take a photo…

Looking back, I really regret not pulling over to snap a picture of such a cute mountain! So, I borrowed this photo from stock images instead.
See? Isn’t it adorable?

Here is Kusasenrigahama.
It’s a famous scenic spot with a massive grassland covering roughly 785,000 square meters and a large pond.
The paid parking lot costs 500 yen per day for a standard passenger car (as of August 2026).

First, we took a stroll around the grassland near where we parked. We could see steam rising from the volcanic crater in the distance (around the center of the photo).

After that, we intended to head toward the pond, but since it was already 2:00 PM and we hadn’t eaten lunch yet, my child started getting cranky from hunger. So, we headed straight for the restaurants instead. To my utter embarrassment, we completely forgot to go back and check out the pond afterwards…

This photo shows a Daruma doll version of Kumamoto’s mascot, Kumamon, which was sitting right at the shop’s entrance. Pretty cute, right? Bringing home one this size would be impossible, but a small keychain or mascot-sized version would make a great souvenir!

Don’t worry about food when visiting Kusasenri, though—there are plenty of restaurants and cafes lined up right across from the parking lot. We stopped by Kusasenri Shokudo, enjoyed some local Kumamoto ramen, and discussed our next stop.

After our discussion, we decided to head to the crater of Mt. Naka next.

When planning the trip, the official Aso Volcanic Crater Regulation website had shown a warning: “Volcanic Crater Warning (Eruption Alert Level 2) is currently active. Entry within approximately 1 km of the crater is prohibited.”

Because of this, I had given up on seeing the crater. But when I checked again while at the restaurant in Kusasenri, to my surprise, the restriction had been lifted just two days prior! We got so lucky.

The Mt. Naka crater is extremely easy to access—it’s just a short walk from the nearest parking area, so no hiking or trekking is required.

Viewing the crater and using the parking area itself is free, but since you have to take the Aso Toll Road to reach the parking lot, it costs 1,000 yen for a standard passenger car (as of August 2026).

Between the parking lot and the crater, there are several volcanic shelters.

I stepped inside one of the shelters—it was covered in graffiti!

And here is the crater itself.

You can really see the impressive layers here.
Unfortunately, the crater lake water wasn’t the signature emerald green, but it was still incredibly powerful and intense.

Apparently, when volcanic activity picks up, the water turns from green to gray. Since the Eruption Alert Level 2 had been active until just two days ago, it was probably leaning toward gray. A bit of a shame, but still amazing.

Even so, imagining what would happen if you fell in gives you a bit of a chill!

Here is the scenery around the crater.

It seems like a lot of kids enjoy stacking up small stones around here, which created a whole zone of improvised rock sculptures. Naturally, my child jumped right in and started building one too. Monkey see, monkey do—that’s probably how this whole area came to be!

My mother-in-law absolutely loved the crater. Even after returning home, she keeps mentioning how great it was.

It really is a powerful sight—you can see the geological layers clearly, and the surrounding scenery is magnificent. Anyone interested in geology would probably enjoy it even more!

After viewing the crater, we headed toward the area where cattle and horses graze.
We looped back from the crater toward Kusasenri and took Route 111 where Route 298 and Route 111 split.
As we kept driving, it came into view—the exact grazing scenery that had thrilled me 20 years ago!
I checked Google Maps, and it turned out to be Yoshiichi Farm.

These top three photos were taken by my child from the passenger seat. Pretty good shots, right?

This one was taken by me after I pulled the car over and got out.

I was so happy to finally show my child the scenery I had been dreaming of sharing.
…However, my child’s reaction?

“Meh, it’s alright, I guess?”

It was a much milder reaction than I expected—such a contrast to my own excitement!

After that, we headed toward Kumamoto Airport.

Kumamoto Airport was surprisingly impressive, with plenty of shops and restaurants. It seems like Kumamoto and Fukuoka are the standout airports in Kyushu, which makes sense given how many passengers they handle.

We flew with JAL on the way there, but booked ANA for the flight back.
We originally booked economy seats with ANA, but upgraded because a meal was served on board. For drinks, alcoholic beverages were available, so I ordered sparkling wine. I was so tired that I forgot to take a photo, though!

This whole itinerary felt pretty packed and busy for a 2-night trip. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to go back, but next time, I’d love to take my time and explore it even more thoroughly.