Aso-Kuju National Park is a UNESCO Geopark, which was on our itinerary for its main attraction Mt Aso, an active volcano. But it surprised us by the variety of sites and sceneries, and we ended up spending more time there than expected.

A stop at the Chojabaru visitor centre convinced us to hike in the Kuju mountain range, located at the northern part of the park. Before setting camp in the nearby campsite, we headed for the Komatsu Jigoku, where you can hear the ground boiling under you feet. Similarly to those we went to in Hokkaido, it always feels like you arrive at the end of the world, where sulfur and acidity wiped off all form of lives, leaving a bare land of yellow rocks and a rotten egg smell in the air.

The following day, we woke up early and took the shuttle to Makinoto pass, to start our 7 hour hike across the Kuju range. We had our revenge over the missed Mount Daisen, as we reached 3 summits on that day: Kujudake (1,786m), Nakadake (1,791m) and Tengugajo (1,780m). The 360 degree views from the top were amazing, despite a darkening sky. Our lunch break at Miike pond in the cold and a light snow shower, reminded us that winter was not that far, and season had barely started. Nevertheless, the hike was rejuvenating and I felt like breathing again.

The vegetation was very dry, wakening from winter. But it will get very green over spring and summer, and mountains will be covered in bright pink azaleas in June. If you want to go, it might be worth considering a different timing than ours.

To relax our sore muscles after this great but challenging day, we drove to Kurokawa onsen, the other exciting surprise of the area.

Kurokawa is probably the most beautiful onsen town we visited in Japan. The usually ugly large buildings are replaced by traditional wooden houses along narrow pedestrian streets. Is it a very quaint and peaceful place, with the most exquisite indoor and outdoor baths. There is a very affordable pass that allows you to try many different onsens. As we were not supposed to stay, we picked one of them. The outdoor bath was beautifully designed, with a mix of wood, bamboo, and luxurious plants. Only care to take was to stay away from the pipes, water coming out at a 80 degree Celsius temperature. Not a good time to play the cooked lobster…

I liked the place so much that I could not resolve myself to leave and go camping. While Eff was bathing in the men’s area, I booked a last minute hotel, giving the excuse of our upcoming wedding anniversary. As we will spend the D-day in a ferry to Yakushima, the option seemed way more romantic. I didn’t need much excuse though, as Eff was very happy to stay longer, enjoy the indoor bath at our ryokan, have a delicious barbecue, and cherry on the cake, discover the best chou pastry in the morning. The vanilla cream inside the tasty chou was to die for! Never had such good ones since those my grand-mother used to bake…

But next destination was calling so we headed south towards Mount Aso.

Mount Aso has been a very active volcano for the past 70 years, with most recent eruptions in 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2016. You have to check the warning messages from the Japan agency every time you want to go closer to the crater. I had checked several days before, and access was fully closed because of heavy gas emissions. So we drove around its caldera, one of the biggest in the world to enjoy the views, and have a glimpse of its smoky activity.

Eff checked again, and read that the access was reopened. Lucky us!! We spent the night around and headed to the crater first thing in the morning. We stopped first at Kumezuka, small beautifully shaped volcanic cone on the northern slope of Nakadake.

Then the crater… Such a fascinating place!! The drive up there is like driving in a dark sand desert, with clear view on the smoke coming out. You must walk the last few metres, and you can see the heart of the volcano. The lake inside is currently dry, but it remains beautiful and impressive. You can’t forget the unpredictability of the place, as you can constantly hear alert messages in various languages. We loved the experience, and are very happy we managed to get to see it.

Update: we were there on the 14th of April, and as I write this article on the 18th, it appears that the alert level was raised from 1 to 2, closing all accesses to the crater, few hours after our visit. Just in time, as the volcano erupted on the 16th.

Photo Gallery