Aso

Mt Aso, Kyushu - darkometer rating : 4 - ----------------- UPDATE 10 October 2016: I've just heard that Mt Aso has sprung to life again in an explosive eruption and that access to the mountain and the roads near it has been suspended for safety reasons. When (or if) it will reopen remains to be seen. If you're planning to go there do check ahead! ----------------- Aso is one of the largest calderas in the world (some sources say THE largest) and within it is Nakadake crater, one of Japan 's touristically most developed active volcanic spots. If the weather and the volcano's activity allow it, a trip to the crater rim is not to be missed. It's a stunning sight! > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Aso as a whole is actually as good as a whole mountain range in its own right: a gigantic caldera rimmed with mountains, some 65 miles (100 km) in circumference, with several small towns amidst fertile plains within, and volcanic peaks in the centre. Of these Takadake is the highest (over 5000 feet/1600m), but Nakadake steals the show because this is Aso's active crater and you can go right up to the rim. That is, unless volcanic activity and wind directions preclude it. But the infrastructure is there, including a ropeway (cable car) easing the final ascent for the scores of tourists that come here. Most of the time, the volcano's activity is limited to emitting sulphurous gases from its eerie blue-green, seemingly boiling crater lake. And as long as the wind doesn't blow those gases over the viewing platform side of the crater, access to this is allowed. Nakadake has had phases of moderate activity periodically throughout the 20th century, even for prolonged periods in the 1980s and 90s.