ACCESSGeotourism

KyushuAccess to Aso Geopark from each prefecture in Kyushu,JapanECitye

We introduce geotourism basedon three themes to comprehensively
show the attractions of Aso Geoparkrism CoutourseoGCityCourse map

The Land of Aso
Volcano and theLives of Its People

Tracing the Path ofAso and its Myths

CityThe Aso Caldera is situated in central Kyushu, Japan. It is
one of the largest calderas in the world, covering a total areaof 350 k㎡ and measuring 18 km east-west and 25 kmCitynorth-south in width. In the caldera are the five peaks of Mt.
Aso: Mt. Takadake, Mt. Nekodake, Mt. Kijimadake, Mt.

Eboshidake, and the still-fuming Mt.Nakadake. There also lie

Cityvolcanic clusters consisting of various mountains. A plain

spreads at the foot of the mountain range from north to◎Memories of eruptions engravedin the grand caldera

south. Surrounding the plain and volcanic clusters, the outerCity

rims form a gently-sloping pyroclastic plateau. This unique

The world-class caldera is the symbol of Aso Geopark. Unique landfeatures and strata have been formed by considerable volcanic
activities over the past 270,000 years and by a great eruption thatoccurred 90,000 years ago. Visitors will learn about such
geographical information as well as influences of the eruption onvarious places in Japan through geosites.

geography is formed by the Aso volcano, which has displayed

repeated volcanic activities since approximately 270,000 years
ago. The major theme of Aso Geopark is to provide visitors

阿蘇は、生きている。

◎Nakadake Crater: Feeling the breathof the earth

Among the volcanic clusters in thecaldera, Nakadake Crater is highlightedbecause of its repeated and substantial
volcanic activities from prehistoric times
until the present. We will show you theunique landscape and ecology around
Nakadake Crater, and the lives ofpeople who live in symbiosis with theactive volcano.

with information about theAso is alive!

Car

geological history of the Aso

volcano and its relation to thelives of people: how they haveenjoyed the bounties of theA journey across time and space, experiencing
the land of Aso and the lives of those who dwellin the shadow of the volcano.

earth, engaged in theirlivelihood, and developed aunique culture and landscape.

■What is the “Geopark” ?
By observing the earth and nature scientifically, we define a◎Blessings of the volcanic mountainand people’s lives

place of scientific importance as a geopark, where many
valuable and beautiful natural heritages exist such as strata,
rocks, topography, volcano, and faults. A geopark values

People who live side by side with a
volcano have explored ways to livein harmony with nature in awe ofthe volcano, and developed theirown culture and lifestyle. And
nature has brought them abundant
blessings like spring water and hot
springs which are commonly foundin volcanic regions.

阿蘇市

Aso City0▲

TakamoriTown

1000

15002000m

根子岳
Mt. Nekodake

南阿蘇村

阿蘇白水温泉瑠璃Aso-Hakusui Hot Spring Ruri

月廻り公園
Tsukimawari Koen Park
南阿蘇高原ペンション村
Minami-Aso Kogen
Pension Village●●
南阿蘇村白水庁舎
Minami-Aso Village Hakusui Office
なかまつ
白川水源
Nakamatsu Sta.
Shirakawa Fountainhead●●

あそ望の郷くぎのAsobo-no-sato Kugino あそしらかわ
四季の森
Shiki-no-mori Hot Spring

しらかわすいげん

Minami-AsoShirakawa
Suigen Sta.

●（Rakuda-yama）Park
らくだ山公園 Camel Mountain5 らくだ山 Camel Mountain（Rakuda-yama）

高森町役場
TakamoriTown Office▲ 清栄山 Mt. Seiei●高森高校START●Takamori Senior High School 高森町 Takamori Town

3Minami-Aso Railway Trolley Train●

1 高森湧水アスペクタ
Outdoor Therter Aspecta

トンネル公園

Takamori Yusui Tunnel Park

高森峠
Takamori Mountain Pass●

23 min.

Takamori Yusui (spring water)
TunnelTakamoriTown

Kusakabe-Yoshimi
ShrineTakamoriTown

450min.

40 min.

● Transportation: private car or rental car● Time required : 5~6 hr.

南阿蘇鉄道トロッコ列車

みはらしだいMiharashidai Sta.

●1高森温泉館
Takamori Hot Springs Museum

6 南阿蘇ビジターセンター Minami-Aso Visitor Center●たかもり
Takamori Sta.

Aso-shirakawa Sta. みなみあそ●久石 Hisaishi

There remain various myths regarding Takeiwatatsuno-mikoto, Aso’s deity of path-finding. They
all relate to the geography and the place names of Aso, as well as traditional events and thelivelihood of its people. This course offers the wonders and myths of Aso.

START

●

●ETracing the Path of Aso and its Myths

Minami-Aso Railway Takamori Station
Minami-Aso Village●rism Courstoueo▲

▲

●
高岳
砂千里ヶ浜
Mt. Takadake
Sunasenri-ga-hama

高森町

500

山都町

南阿蘇村
久木野庁舎

which was established in 2004 and is supported by UNESCO.

N

Yamato Town

みなみあそ
みずのうまれるさとはくすいこうげん
Minami-Aso
Mizu-no-umareru-sato
Hakusui Kogen Sta.

around the world by the Global Geoparks Network（GGN）,G

仙酔峡
Sensuikyo Gorge

阿蘇山
Mt. Aso
中岳 Mt. Nakadake

UbuyamaVillage

あそしもだじょう
ふれあいおんせん
Aso-shimodajo-fureai-onsen Sta.

the culture of the people in the area. Geoparks are promotede●産山村

かせKase Sta.

ecology as well as human life through natural heritages including

平成24年度環境省地域コーディネーター活用事業

南小国町

Minami-Aso
Village

its history and mechanisms, and think about its relation toAso Volcanic Museum 1F, 1930-1 Akamizu, Aso City, Kumamoto prefecture 869-2232 Japan.
HP : http://www.aso-geopark.jp/E-mail : info@aso-geopark.jp

Minami-Oguni Town

西原村

for people to become familiar with “geo” (the earth), learn about

Aso Geopark Promotion Council

小国町

Nishihara
Villageconservation and utilization of geological heritages. It is a place[Aso Geopark Promotion Council] Kumamoto Prefecture, Aso City, Minami-Oguni Town, Oguni Town, Ubuyama Village,
Takamori Town, Minami-Aso Village, Nishihara Village, Yamato Town, Aso Eco Tourism Association, National Aso YouthFriendship Center, Aso Den’en kukan Eco Museum Office, Aso Museum, Namino Plateau Yasuragi Recreation and Rest
Center, Aso Nature Guide Association, Aso Tanibito Eco Museum, Aso Park Volunteers Association, Aso City Tourism
Association, Minami-Oguni Town Tourism Association, Oguni Tourism Association, Ubuyama Village Tourism Association,Takamori Town Tourism Association, Minami-Aso Village Tourism Association, Yamato Town Tourism Association, Aso
Volcano Museum, Kumamoto University, Aso Volcanological Laboratory Institute for Geothermal Sciences Graduate School ofScience Kyoto University, Kumamoto Geosciences Association, Kumamoto Geotechnical Consultants Association, Aso
Nature Conservation Group, Natural Parks Foundation Aso Branch, Aso Green Stock Foundation, Aso Design Center Foundation, Aso Junior Chamber of Commerce, Kumamoto 21, Japan Limonite Co., Ltd.

Oguni Town

南阿蘇村

Stromboli Phenomenon

Takamori Yusui Tunnel
1 （TakamoriTown）

柳 Yanagi

56Heitate Shrine

YamatoTown

20 min.

Soyokyo Gorge

YamatoTown

50 min.

Camel Mountain（Rakuda-yama） TakamoriTown
2 min.

Takamori

Minami-Aso Visitor Center Town

Soyokyo Gorge
4 （YamatoTown）

高森峠トンネル
Takamori Pass Tunnel●

2 草部吉見神社

Kusakabe-Yoshimi Shrine

そよ風パーク井無田高原
Imuta Highland

Soyokaze Park●

山都町蘇陽総合支所
Yamato Town Soyo General Office
●

山都町

4 蘇陽峡

3 幣立宮

滝上
Takigami
馬見原
Mamihara

Heitate Shrine

凡例

Legend

案内所
Information

ロープウェイ
Ropeway

温泉
Hot Spring

博物館/美術館
Museum

水源
Springパソコン
PC Facilities

駐車場
Parking

ゴルフ場
Golf Course

ホテル / 宿泊施設
Hotel / Accommodation

史跡Historic Site

鉄道 / 鉄道駅
Railway / Railway Station

レンタル電動アシスト付き自転車
Electric Bicycle Rental

郵便局
Post Oﬃce

展望地 / 景勝地
Viewpoint

キャンプ場
Camp Site

レンタカー
Car Rental

キャッシュサービス
Cash Service

神社
Shrineレストラン
RestaurantAS

バス / バスのりば
Bus / Bus StopO

Geot our i s

ms ofPlace ts
intereA soothing nature-oriented theme park

滝Waterfall
公園
Park

JR豊肥本線
JR Hohi Line
南阿蘇鉄道
Minami Aso Railway Line
ジオツーリズムコース
Geotourism Course

Enjoy a leisurely trip to Aso on the smallest train in Japan

Soyokaze Park (means gentle breeze)

Trolley train of Minami-Aso Railway［TEL］0967-83- 0880

［TEL］0967-62-0058（Takamori Station, Minami-Aso Railway）Stocked with ﬁne facilities
such as hotels, restaurants,shops, baths, workshops, andfarming ﬁelds. Everything fromfood to entertainment isavailable here.

Running through the expansive
valleys of Minami-Aso, thisspecial train has no windows
and the passengers can feelthe fresh breeze inside thecarriage. A truly enjoyable
experience!

It is located at the south-east side of the Aso Caldera,
stretching to the outer rims. Its altitude is 550 m. The
Gokase-gawa River runs at the bottom of an
approximately 15 km-long gorge. The width is 200 m〜 300 m and its height is about 200 m. Steep valley
walls consist of Aso pyroclastic sediment (welded tuff).

The Sanno-miya shrine, thethird-highest shrine of Aso shrine,is dedicated to Hikoyaino-mikoto,the first prince of the Emperor
Jinmu, and 12 other deities. The
name Kusakabe originated fromthe fact that the wall of the shrine
was thatched with grass (kusa in Japanese). The
arrangement of the shrine buildings called “Kudari-miya” isuncommon, where the shrine building is located at an area
lower than the gateway. It is one of the three largest“Kudari-miya” in Japan.

It is the dike penetrating pre-Asolavas (basaltic pyroclastic rocks)
which formed the south-east partof the caldera walls. Undulationof the upper part of the rocks
looks like the back of a camelfrom the north and south, it isnamed Rakuda-yama (rakuda means camel in Japanese).
The outer layer of the dike and the shape of the columnar
joint can be observed nearby.

Kusakabe-Yoshimi Shrine
2 （TakamoriTown）

Soyokyo Gorge

Yamato Town

川野Kawano

The tunnel construction between Takamori Town
(Kumamoto Prefecture) and Takachiho-cho in Miyazaki
Prefecture was started in 1973. However the construction
was discontinued due to the discovery of a large quantityof spring water. The Yusui Tunnel is about 2 km long andhas 32 tons per hour of water inflow.

Heitate Shrine
3 （YamatoTown）
It is said that the chief priest of
Aso Shrine dedicated this shrine
to the deity Amaterasu Omikami
sometime between 901 and 923
A.D. This shrine is the former Ise
Shrine, dedicated to the God of
the Sun whose ancestral god isAmenominakanushi.

Camel Mountain（Rakuda-yama）
5 （TakamoriTown）

Minami-Aso Visitor Center
6 （TakamoriTown）
It is a facility to introduce to visitors the nature andlivelihoods of the locals. A guide to the Aso Wild Flower
Garden, where you canobserve various plants in Aso
in nature-like surroundings, isavailable. Through activities
such as the observation
workshop, one can enjoy
contact with nature.