Kumamoto, a prefecture nestled in the heart of Kyushu, Japan, is a land of striking contrasts. Its western edge meets the sea, while the rest of the region is enveloped by dramatic mountain ranges. But Kumamoto's real claim to fame is Mount Aso, one of the world's largest active volcanoes, often seen with a plume of smoke rising from its peak. I had the chance to visit Aso in the summer of 2024, and let me tell you, the road leading up to it was an absolute jaw-dropper. The sheer scale and grandeur of the landscape took my breath away. So, come along with me as I share my Aso adventure, complete with photos and stories. You'll soon see why this place captured my heart 😉
Here's a sneak peek of that incredible road to Aso. And for those who want to follow in my footsteps, here's the address for the Aso crater: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YriVe3Q3FJ32MKNq8
On my way from Kumamoto city center to the Aso crater, I stumbled upon Komezuka. The scenery was so captivating that I ended up spending hours there, camera in hand 😀
I pulled over at this spot, mesmerized by the rolling mountains stretching out before me, and the herds of cows and horses grazing freely on the left side of the road. It was a picture of rural serenity.
This road also has a fairly large parking area for tourists to stop and admire the scenery, so I also had more time to walk around this area to take pictures.
From this road, you can see an inactive volcanic crater.
After taking photos here, I continued to follow the road to Mount Aso. And the higher I went, the more beautiful the scenery became, with many panoramic views down below.
However, these cows are not very "friendly", everyone should be careful when approaching them to take pictures 😀
Let's see some pictures I took here, before moving to the next location.
This is probably the most beautiful road I have ever traveled, with the mountain right in front of me, on the left is the city view from above.
After finishing shooting here, I moved to the final destination, which is also the main destination of my trip today – Komezuka.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eUNcueno5FTqHEqo9
Komezuka is a unique cone-shaped hill located in the Mount Aso area, a beautiful tourist destination every summer.
Komezuka is famous for its almost perfect shape, like a hat or an upside-down pile of rice. Because of this shape, it is called "Komezuka," which means "pile of rice" in Japanese.
This hill is about 50 meters high and about 80 meters in diameter, covered with a green color of young grass.
Komezuka has a shape quite similar to the mountains in anime movies.
The time I arrived here was also about 5 pm, so I decided to stay and watch the sunset here.
It seemed like there was no sunset today, because there were quite a few clouds covering the sun …
But I ended a perfect day in Kumamoto with a beautiful sunset.
And I returned to Kumamoto city center right after the sunset ended, to continue my journey to explore the provinces of Kyushu in the following days. Follow my series of articles about Kyushu in the next posts. Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
Don't forget to Follow me on Instagram ( travel.w.minh_photo ) or Subscribe to receive notifications every time I have a new article.
***************************************************************************************************************
Explore our useful services in Japan:
- Taking photos of individuals, couples, and families in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara: See more HERE
- Plan and schedule your trip to Japan: See more HERE
- eSim data, pocket wifi travel in Japan: See more HERE
***************************************************************************************************************
*** Please read the requirements carefully Copyright & Collaboration before copying or quoting blog content and images. Thank you.