Geotourism

ACCESS
Geotourism
Kyushu
Access to Aso Geopark from each prefecture in Kyushu,Japan
E
City
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We introduce geotourism based
on three themes to comprehensively
show the attractions of Aso Geopark
rism Cou
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City
Course map
The Land of Aso
Volcano and the
Lives of Its People
Tracing the Path of
Aso and its Myths
City
The Aso Caldera is situated in central Kyushu, Japan. It is
one of the largest calderas in the world, covering a total area
of 350 k㎡ and measuring 18 km east-west and 25 km
City
north-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
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volcanic clusters consisting of various mountains. A plain
spreads at the foot of the mountain range from north to
◎Memories of eruptions engraved
in the grand caldera
south. Surrounding the plain and volcanic clusters, the outer
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rims form a gently-sloping pyroclastic plateau. This unique
The world-class caldera is the symbol of Aso Geopark. Unique land
features and strata have been formed by considerable volcanic
activities over the past 270,000 years and by a great eruption that
occurred 90,000 years ago. Visitors will learn about such
geographical information as well as influences of the eruption on
various 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 breath
of the earth
Among the volcanic clusters in the
caldera, Nakadake Crater is highlighted
because of its repeated and substantial
volcanic activities from prehistoric times
until the present. We will show you the
unique landscape and ecology around
Nakadake Crater, and the lives of
people who live in symbiosis with the
active volcano.
with information about the
Aso is alive!
Car
geological history of the Aso
volcano and its relation to the
lives of people: how they have
enjoyed the bounties of the
A journey across time and space, experiencing
the land of Aso and the lives of those who dwell
in the shadow of the volcano.
earth, engaged in their
livelihood, and developed a
unique culture and landscape.
■What is the “Geopark” ?
By observing the earth and nature scientifically, we define a
◎Blessings of the volcanic mountain
and 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 live
in harmony with nature in awe of
the volcano, and developed their
own culture and lifestyle. And
nature has brought them abundant
blessings like spring water and hot
springs which are commonly found
in volcanic regions.
阿蘇市
Aso City
0
▲
Takamori
Town
1000
1500
2000m
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
四季の森
Shiki-no-mori Hot Spring
しらかわ
すいげん
Minami-Aso
Shirakawa
Suigen Sta.
●
Minami-Aso Visitor Center
（Rakuda-yama）Park
らくだ山公園 Camel Mountain
らくだ山 Camel Mountain（Rakuda-yama）
高森町役場
Takamori
Town Office
▲ 清栄山 Mt. Seiei
●
高森高校
START
●
Takamori Senior High School 高森町 Takamori Town
1
アスペクタ
Outdoor Therter
“Aspecta”
南阿蘇ビジターセンター
5
3
Minami-Aso Railway Trolley Train
●
高森湧水
トンネル公園
Takamori Yusui Tunnel Park
高森峠
Takamori Mountain Pass
●
2
3 min.
Takamori Yusui (spring water)
Tunnel
Takamori
Town
Kusakabe-Yoshimi
Shrine
Takamori
Town
4
50min.
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
●
たかもり
Takamori Sta.
あそしらかわ
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 the
livelihood of its people. This course offers the wonders and myths of Aso.
START
●
●
E
Tracing the Path of Aso and its Myths
Minami-Aso Railway Takamori Station
Minami-Aso Village
●
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▲
▲
●
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
Ubuyama
Village
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 promoted
e
●
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 to
Aso Volcanic Museum 1F, 1930-1 Akamizu, Aso City, Kumamoto prefecture 869-2232 Japan.
HP : http://www.aso-geopark.jp/
E-mail : [email protected]
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
Village
conservation 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 Youth
Friendship 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 of
Science 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 （Takamori
Town）
柳 Yanagi
5
6
Heitate Shrine
Yamato
Town
20 min.
Soyokyo Gorge
Yamato
Town
50 min.
Camel Mountain（Rakuda-yama） Takamori
Town
2 min.
Minami-Aso Visitor Center
Takamori
Town
Soyokyo Gorge
4 （Yamato
Town）
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
Restaurant
AS
バス / バスのりば
Bus / Bus Stop
O
Ge
ot our i s
m
s of
Place t
s
intere
A soothing nature-oriented theme park
Soyokaze Park (means gentle breeze)
Stocked with ﬁne facilities
such as hotels, restaurants,
shops, baths, workshops, and
farming ﬁelds. Everything from
food to entertainment is
available here.
［TEL］0967-83- 0880
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
Trolley train of Minami-Aso Railway
Running through the expansive
valleys of Minami-Aso, this
special train has no windows
and the passengers can feel
the fresh breeze inside the
carriage. 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, the
third-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 from
the fact that the wall of the shrine
was thatched with grass (kusa in Japanese). The
arrangement of the shrine buildings called “Kudari-miya” is
uncommon, 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-Aso
lavas (basaltic pyroclastic rocks)
which formed the south-east part
of the caldera walls. Undulation
of the upper part of the rocks
looks like the back of a camel
from the north and south, it is
named 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 （Takamori
Town）
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 quantity
of spring water. The Yusui Tunnel is about 2 km long and
has 32 tons per hour of water inflow.
［TEL］0967-62-0058（Takamori Station, Minami-Aso Railway）
Heitate Shrine
3 （Yamato
Town）
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 is
Amenominakanushi.
Camel Mountain（Rakuda-yama）
5 （Takamori
Town）
Minami-Aso Visitor Center
6 （Takamori
Town）
It is a facility to introduce to visitors the nature and
livelihoods of the locals. A guide to the Aso Wild Flower
Garden, where you can
observe various plants in Aso
in nature-like surroundings, is
available. Through activities
such as the observation
workshop, one can enjoy
contact with nature.

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