It’s named the biggest caldera in the world, gave a prefecture its nickname, and it has its own shrine. The mighty Mount Aso is easily the most instantly recognized landmark and moneymaker in the Kumamoto prefecture of Kyushu, Japan.
The 24-km wide Mount Aso’s main attraction is the steaming cyan crater lake of Mount Nakadake. A cable car network easily takes visitors up the volcano, where there’s a complex crammed with souvenir and snack outlets, and there are neatly paved roads right up the edge of the crater. Aso is also home to a string of hot spring resorts
NATURE IN JAPAN 