[Back Post] Kyushu with Momiji, Day 4: Aso-Kuju National Park

Yo all! I, Momiji, have decided to take over posting about the Kyushu road trip (itinerary below). I was not pleased with Mama going off and sewing up a storm. Boo! Speaking of storms...remember Mama posted about it raining on Day 3 at Tsuetate Onsen and Nabegataki (here)? Well, Day 4 was a wet day too!

Because of the wet weather, our day at Aso-Kuju National Park turned out to be a short one, as we could barely see anything. (That's why we went back on Day 6.) We made brief visits to Kusasenri-ga-hama and the Daikanbo observatory (more below), but truly didn't see much. The weather up in the Aso highlands was terrible: chilly, rainy, with high speed winds. Wet weather is a pet peeve of mine, especially when I have to be outdoors. Mama's the same, that's why she was quite grumpy for the day. As for myself, I stayed safe and snug in my carrier most of the time. But Mama did take me out once they checked into our accommodation for the night: Hoshino KAI Aso. She and Papa decided to cut Day 4 short and checked in at around 4:00pm, and we all made full, enjoyable, use of our room facilities.

Momiji loves it at Hoshino KAI Aso.

So our itinerary for Day 4 centred solely on Aso-Kuju National Park阿蘇くじゅう国立公園. The park was first established in 1934 with the Aso caldera is its heart, its raison d'être. It is now part of the Aso UNESCO Global Geopark.

Not Mama and Papa's first time at a volcanic caldera in Japan, if we count Lake Kussharo (posted here), but certainly the biggest thus far. The Aso caldera measures 25km north-south and 18km east-west, and has a circumference of 128km, making it the world's third largest. The Aso caldera consists of the crater floor, the surrounding somma, and the 5 peaks of Aso within. These 5 peaks, the Aso Godake阿蘇五岳 in Japanese, form the central cone group. The area further away from the crater rim around these 5 peaks are vast, flat grasslands. The caldera was formed by 4 major eruptions that took place over a period of 90,000 to over 270,000 years ago. The present caldera is said to have been shaped by a huge eruption 90,000 years ago. Following the emission of large volumes of pyroclastic flow and volcanic ash—said to have traveled as far as Shimabara (Nagasaki), Amakusa (Kumamoto) and Yamaguchi—the empty magma chamber below collapsed, forming a depression, and thus resulting in the caldera.

Despite the weather, we began the day with a stop at Kusasenri-ga-hama草千里ヶ浜. One of Kumamoto Prefecture's scenic icons, Kusasenri-ga-hama is 785,000 sqm of green grassland with 2 rain-fed ponds within an inactive double crater. Well, the name Kusasenri-ga-hama pretty much says what it is, the name literally meaning "grasskusa [of] thousandsen league (li)ri shore[ga]hama".

Kusasenri-ga-hama shrouded in cloud, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

In the wet weather, the entire area was covered in fog, so the view of the nearby Nakadake crater was completely obscured. All we could see was highland grass and the rain-fed pools. Nothing else could be seen from the viewing deck, not the smoking crater, nada. Papa and Mama took a short walk onto the grassland and up the ridge towards the crater. The grass was sodden and sank a little, and they made it to the pool before turning back. Papa jokingly said that, aside from the sulphuric smell, we could almost imagine we were in the English countryside on a normal wet day, or the Scottish highlands. In a way it was funny 'coz that was Papa and Mama's initial travel idea. I think at that moment, Mama may have regretted their choice, but she didn't say, and it was short-lived because she was so totally enthralled at Yakushima (Day 8).

Mama originally wanted to take the ropeway and do the crater walk, where you can actually walk up close to the Nakadake crater itself and see the crater lake. But she couldn't 'coz of the eruption warnings. Nakadake is the most active of the central volcanic cones within the Aso caldera, and is closely monitored. In fact, the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program reported that there were small eruptions in the Nakadake crater in April and in June (before and after our visit)! Nature really is amazing! And scary too. Besides the crater walk and the views, there's horse-riding and the Aso Volcano Museum, which we skipped. C'mon, it was raining and cold, and I don't fancy getting wet. We didn't stick around long 'coz Mama started feeling throat and nasal discomfort from the volcanic gases from the Nakadake crater. Oh no! The dreadful weather didn't help.

Komezuka, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

On the drive back down, we passed Komezuka米塚, a grass-covered, evenly shaped 80m high volcanic cone with a slight crater on top. Apparently, it was formed about 3,000 years ago, recent compared to the peaks of Mt Aso.

Grazing akaushi (Japanese Brown) on the Aso grasslands, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Also along the way we saw some Japanese Browns (akaushi赤牛) grazing on the green grass. They didn't seem to care about the cold and wet weather. So, the Japanese Brown is one of 6 native Japanese cattle breeds, and representative of Aso. Mama eyed them with hungry eyes. She looked like this: ( = ⊘ ڡ ⊘ = ) Obviously in her mind was what we would be having for lunch (below). When Mama looks like that, she's scary.... I'm glad I'm not edible!

Along the way, we stopped at some spot that overlooked Aso City.

A lookout point over Aso City. We forgot where. Don't think it was the Shiroyama lookout point.

Driving around Aso-Kuju National Park.

Driving through, we really saw a lot of grasslands in Aso. Even in the fog and gloom, the grass was a beautiful emerald green. Once again, Papa joked that we could just pretend to be in the English countryside or the Scottish highlands.

With all this driving around, panoramic views of roads and lush green grasslands in the fog at every turn, driving to the Laputa road (Google Maps) did cross our minds. However, that spot has been closed to traffic since the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes due to heavy damage and landslides. The Aso area suffered much damage following the earthquakes, but wherever we went, there was much progress in the past 3 years in terms of repairs, and a feeling of renewed energy in the area. 熊本、がんばってください〜！

The Aso grasslands on a wet, foggy day, Aso-Kuju National Park.

So, at some point, we finally stopped for lunch. Per our travel planner's recommendation, we stopped at Akaushidon Iwasakiあか牛丼 いわさき (Google Maps) 'coz well, I don't need to eat but Papa and Mama do. As mentioned, the akaushi is representative of Aso, and the akaushidonあか牛丼, the akaushi rice bowl, is one of the must-eat local foods of Kumamoto Prefecture.

Akaushi-don at Iwasaki, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture (another on IG).

Mama's rice bowl looked delicious: medium-rare slices of akaushi beef on fluffy Japanese short-grained rice, topped with a soft-poached egg, and a small serving of akaushi chutney (made by Iwasaki). She wolfed it down so fast, I thought it disappeared in a wink! (ˆ ڡ ˆ) I think she would've gone for seconds if we weren't so keen to move along.

Akaushi udon at Iwasaki, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture.

On the other hand, with the wet chilly weather, Papa felt like something hot and soupy. He had the akaushi udon. He said it was good, but he suffered food envy when he looked at Mama's bowl.

We debated making a visit to the viewpoints on Daikanbo大観峰. They offer commanding views of the 5 peaks of Mt Aso, the Aso grasslands and valley. Mama and Papa were sure we'd see nothing in the weather but felt it'd be a waste if we didn't try. Oh boy was that a mistake.

At first, I felt a little angry about being left behind again. I didn't get to leave the car, let alone my carrier bag. Then I realised that Mama'd left me in the car 'coz the winds were just too strong, around 30 knots or more!

Super windy on Daikanbo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture (more on IG).

At the first viewpoint, Papa parked the car downwind. The car door was flung wide open as soon as Mama opened it by just a crack! Mama stepped out and was almost immediately blown onto her butt. (Mama doesn't weigh a lot.) She could barely walk towards the edge of the first viewing deck, so she gave up and returned to the car. She couldn't shut the door because of the force of the wind, and Papa had to help her. Now I'm not upset anymore... A small mishap and I would've been blown right off! 😱

Papa and Mama did get up to the 2nd viewpoint, which was a short 10-minute walk from the carpark. Though with the wind resistance, it took a little longer. It was pretty tough going Mama said, because of the wind speeds and the cold. IT WAS COLD!

Daikanbo on a wet and foggy day, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture (more on IG).

Daikanbo, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture (more on IG).

Everything was completely shrouded in cloud and mist, so all they saw was the highland grass. Beautiful bright green grass, yes. Just nothing else. Not a single peak. Though it made Mama wonder if the grass was why the beef cattle was so tasty.

Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso, Aso-Kuju National Park.

So short day and early check-in to Hoshino KAI Aso in the Senomoto area. They've enjoyed all their stays at Hoshino resorts before and Papa seems to be keen on trying (almost?) every one. (◔_◔) Papa's odd that way.

Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

After check-in, the front desk asked us to wait a moment as they were calling the cart to take us to our room. Mama looked puzzled and I could almost read her mind: "Why a cart?" It became clear as we were being transported there. From the little path through the trees, it didn't look like there were any guest accommodation at all. Where was everything?

Late spring blooms at Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

Self-contained, separate guest cabins at Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

Apparently it's all fairly well-hidden. Guest accommodation at Hoshino KAI Aso is actually made up of individual cabins surrounded by lush greenery. Oh boy would I love a place of my own like that! Like a secret hide-out base! (✧ □ ✧) My sisters back home are going to be so envious! I don't need to say anything else 'coz I think the pictures pretty much say it all. (◍˃̵͈̑ᴗ˂̵͈̑)

Lounge room and bedroom. Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

The outdoor verandah. Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

Private outdoor onsen. Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

The outdoor onsen on the verandah overlooked maples and other trees. At the moment they were lush and green, but in autumn...the view would be so amazing!

On top of that, we were provided with 2 large bottles of Aso natural spring water, complimentary of course. And oh boy, the water was so tasty! Soft, sweet and pure. By far the tastiest spring water we've had. The Aso region is blessed with several first grade rivers and water sources. The water wells up from various underground reserves created by the Aso Volcano. Aso's natural spring water is said to be rated among Japan's purest and best tasting by Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare. Four water sources within the Aso-Kuju National Park are included in the Japanese Ministry of Environment's list of 100 best meisui名水 (famed water), i.e. the Ikeyama source池山水源 (see Day 3), Shirakawa source白川水源 and Kikuchi source菊池水源 in Kumamoto Prefecture, and the Oike spring男池湧水群 in Oita Prefecture. Mama now says that if she had a choice, she would love to drink and cook with Aso spring water whenever possible! If only there was a way to bring a steady supply home!

At the appointed time, we went to the resort's bar to enjoy the complimentary pre-dinner cocktail (of our choice). There was also a short presentation about the Aso caldera, which was all in Japanese, so most of it went right over Papa's head, and Mama got only about 50% of it. They did understand enough Japanese to get by and take part in the little interactive experiment. It was actually an educational experience recreating the process by which the Aso caldera was created (already explained above).

The failed recreation of the Aso caldera.

All the guests (mostly in pairs) were provided with a tray of flour, a small inflated balloon and a sharp toothpick. With these, they were supposed to try and recreate the Aso caldera. So, they were instructed to pile up the flour into a mountain shape over the balloon, and then slowly and gently burst the balloon with the toothpick. The result was the top of the mountain of flour would collapse, leaving the sides still intact. Mama's turned out to be a bit of a failure, because she packed the flour too tightly around the balloon. Boo you, Mama!

Sake taster, Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

After that everyone headed off to dinner. While waiting for the first course, Mama got particularly ambitious and went for the Kyushu sake taster, which featured Azumaichi「東一」 by Gochouda Brewery五町田酒造 (Saga), Ogunikura Ipponjime「小国蔵一本〆」 by Kawazu Brewery河津酒造 (Kumamoto), and Takakiya「鷹来屋」 by Hamashima Brewery浜嶋酒造 (Oita).

Dinner, Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

Dinner, Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

Akaushi and other Kumamoto regional specialities were on the menu. And as it was still spring (late spring), the menu certainly reflected the season with lots of sansai山菜, sakura flavoured items, and other spring time delights. Totally love the seasonality of Japanese cuisine.

After-dinner cocktails and dessert by the fireplace, Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso.

Dinner ended in front of the fireplace just off the front foyer. As it was a cold day, they had a lovely wood fire going. Mama and Papa sat on the soft couches around it and had the after-dinner cocktail (a yuzu cocktail) and their desserts while the warmth seeped right down to the bones.

Hoshino KAI Aso. So comfortable that one could just fall asleep on the sofa.

Would we go back? YES. Resounding YES. Hoshino KAI Aso was a fantastic stay, like a small piece of heaven hidden away from this crazy bustling world. And though we re-visited some spots on Day 6 when the weather turned, there are other places we want to visit, like the Kurodake Natural Forest, the Kikuchi Gorge, the Sensui Gorge and the various hiking trails.

Kyushu with Momiji, May 2019 ✈️ Day 0 • Singapore - Tokyo - Fukuoka 🚗 Day 1. Saga Prefecture (Route) • Yutoku Inari Shrine (Kashima) • Takezaki Kaisan (Tara) • Shiibasansou (Ureshino) 🚗 Day 2. Yame (Route) • Kitaya Brewery • Shutei Gin no Ka • Iwatoyama Kofun • Yame Traditional Craftwork Centre • Yame tea plantations • Yabe no Mori 🚗 Day 3. Kumamoto Prefecture (Route) • Tsuetate Onsen • Nabegadaki Falls • Ikeyama Suigen • Sozankyo 🚗 Day 4. Aso (Route) • Kusasenri • Daikanbo • Akaushidon Iwasaki • KAI Aso 🚗 Day 5. Takachiho (Route) • Takachiho Gorge • Takachiho Shrine • Ama no Iwato Shrine • Ama no Yasugawara Shrine (skipped) • Kunimigaoka (skipped) • Solest Takachiho • Restaurant Nagomi 🚗 Day 6. Aso & Kirishima (Route) • Kusasenri • Ramen Keika, Kumamoto • Kirishima Shrine • Kirishima Hotel 🚗 Day 7. Sakurajima (Route) • 100-Year Cedar Garden • Maruo Falls • Arimura Lava Observatory • Yunohira Viewpoint • Tsukiyomi Shrine • Sakurajima Michi-no-Eki Rest Stop, Hinoshima Megumikan • Karasujima Viewpoint • Nagisa Lava Trail • Nagisa Park Foot Baths • Kurokami Shrine • Kurokami Viewpoint • Sakurajima Ferry • Kagoshima wagyu at Gyu-do! ✈️ Day 8. Yakushima (Route) • Yakusugi Museum • Ryujin no Taki • Senpiro no Taki • Tsukasaki Tidal Pool • Ohko no Taki • Seibu Rindo • Yakushima Seaside Hotel 🚗 Day 9. Yakushima (Route) • Shiratani Unsuikyo • Hachimanju Cha-en ✈️ Day 10. Yakushima & Kagoshima (Route) • Suginoya • Yakushima Airport • Kurobuta tonkatsu at Mansaku, Aira • Miyama District (Miyama Toyukan & Chin Jukan Touen) • Shiroyama Viewpoint • Richmond Hotel Kagoshima Tenmonkan • Ramen Kuroiwa 🚗 Day 11. Kagoshima to Fukuoka (Route) • Sengan-en • Teru-zushi, Kitakyushu 🚅 Day 12. Fukuoka (Route) • Kushida Shrine • Hakata Traditional Craft and Design Museum • Hakata Riverain • Tenpyodo • Iwataya Annex • Canal City Hakata (Shodai Hidechan at Ramen Stadium, Hamleys) ✈️ Day 13. Tokyo • Hoshinoya Tokyo • Shopping • Sushi Nanba Asagaya ✈️ Day 14. Tokyo - Singapore • Sushi Kimura * * *