Experience the best of Aso

The Aso caldera is one of the largest in the world, and its floor is a broad plain of farms and villages inside high rim walls. Mount Aso's central cones are still active, and their smoke can be seen from across the caldera. Aso Shrine, an old shrine dedicated to the mountain's gods, stands in the town.

Kusasenri, a wide grassland at the foot of the central cones, is known for its open views and walking trails, and the Daikanbo lookout on the northern rim gives a view across the whole caldera. The Kuju mountains and Aso-Kuju National Park surround the caldera, and hot springs lie in the valleys below the peaks.

Aso beef, from the local red cattle, is the regional speciality, and Kumamoto's karashi renkon, lotus root stuffed with mustard paste, is served in many restaurants. Winters are cold and clear, and the grasslands are at their best in late spring and early autumn.