Aso-Kuju National Park

Aso Kuju National Park was established in 1934. The main features of the park are the volcanic mountains of Mt. Aso rising from a large caldera and the Kuju mountain range to the north, and the magnificent rolling grasslands that surround them. Around Mt. Aso in the southern part of the park, visitors can see a series of magnificent and splendid landscapes such as the crater of Nakadake (Mt. Aso) emitting smoke, the beautiful cone-shaped rice mound, the vast Kusasenrigahama beach, and the crater field and outer rim surrounding them. In the central part of the park, the Kuju mountain range is dotted with volcano-specific scenic spots where sulfuric air phenomena can be seen here and there, vast grasslands such as the Hisazumi Plateau and Iida Plateau, and academically valuable wetlands such as the Tadehara Marsh and Bogatsuru Marsh, which offer a rich variety of attractions. In the northern part of the park, Tsurumidake and Yufudake, which are also the source of hot springs in Beppu and Yufuin, boast beautiful mountain peaks, and from the mountain ridge, a panoramic view of Beppu Bay, the Yufuin basin, and the Kuju mountain range can be seen. (Source: Ministry of the Environment website https://www.env.go.jp/nature/nationalparks/list/)