The trip in Kumamoto was remarkable, with lots of unexpected treats. That region of Japan is best known for its volcanos, so I got to explore quite a few of those. The closest I got to the heart of the volcano was in my visit to Mount Nakadake in the Aso area, at the Kuju Volcano National Park. I stayed over in a nearby village and had some funny local KTV interactions, and in the next morning set out to the high peaks to stare down at a live volcano. The mountain was surrounded by clouds that made it hard to see anything, but as it slowly cleared up the raging volcano and the beautiful volcanic scenery emerged, and there are a few short hikes up there to allow visitors to experience a bit of all that.
Let’s start with the Martian looking hikes…
To try and catch a live volcano through the clouds surrounding the mountain…
Which are clouds and which are volcanic fumes? it’s all mixed up, but you feel the rage of the mountain underneath your feet and smell the volcanic activities the closer you get to the heart of the mountain.
The area as can be seen from the drive up is quite spectacular…
And since I mentioned local vibes…
Location: