In Germany, there is a “Kurort” or “sanatorium” that utilizes hot springs, etc. In Japan, there is a long-established culture of “Touji” or “hot-spring cure” in which people take a bath in hot springs to recuperate. In Kyushu, a “hot spring paradise” with an abundance of hot springs, you can enjoy hot springs in all prefectures, but this time we will visit the hot springs in Minamiaso Village.
After an hour’s drive from Kumamoto City, past the small but beautiful waterfall “Kinryu no Taki”, you will arrive at the day-trip hot spring “Tarutama Onsen Taki Biyori”
The trailer house serves as a rest area, and after bathing, visitors can relax in a semi-private space with a pleasant breeze and a view of the mountain greenery.
Further up the mountain road, and further on, isthe Jigoku Onsen “Seifu-so” . This is a hot spring with a history of over 2,000 years since the Edo period, and has long been visited by many spa healers. In Jigoku Onsen “Seifu-so”, there is called “miraculous hot water”, and the hot spring water gushes “directly” from the foot of the visitors! You can feel the energy of the earth!
On a clear day, the Minamiaso Railway’s trolley train is also recommended. (Be sure to check the operation dates in advance.)
The exhilaration of riding the train through the majestic Aso mountains with the wind blowing in your face is exceptional, and both the train and the station building look like something out of a movie!
The Kamishikimi Kumanoza Shrine」, which has become a hot topic on SNS for its “gateway to another world” like scenery, is also known as a sacred place for anime fans. The approach to the shrine is lined with as many as 97 stone lanterns, and the sight of sunlight shining through the mossy green world is fantastic. Climbing a steep hill, visitors will reach a huge 10-meter-long and 10-meter-wide wind cave.
There are several restaurants near the shrine where visitors can enjoy “Takamori Dengaku,” a simple local dish cooked over a charcoal fire around an old-fashioned sunken hearth.
In addition, you can take a「“night walk in the mountains”surrounded by a star-filled sky in a pasture that is normally inaccessible, or observe the stars through an astronomical telescope at 「Minamiaso Luna Observatory Auberge “Forest Atelier”. Minami-aso is full of such niche and wonderful travel menus.
Why not add Minami Aso to your next destinations?
Minami Aso Tourism Bureau
https://minamiaso.info/
Cover photograph provided by 熊本県観光連盟
