A ropeway going to an active volcano
The entirety of Mt. Aso includes the five peaks of Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, Mt. Kishima and Mt. Neko, and the outer rim. Of the five peaks, Mt. Naka has the only active volcano which can be accessed by car or bus and which can only be sightseen during dormant periods. It’s recommended to take the Mt. Aso Ropeway from the terminus of the mountain bus, Mt. Aso Nishi Station. Being the first ropeway in the world to reach an active volcano, it spans an altitudinal distance of 108m from Mt. Aso Nishi Station to Higuchi Nishi Station at the crater rim, and you can enjoy a one-way trip in the air that takes 4 minutes. On board the large gondola that has a capacity of 91 people, you can view from its large windows the grand landscape and crater of Mt. Aso. You can then head from Higuchi Nishi Station on foot toward the closest point possible to the crater.
View the beautiful emerald green crater lake
At Mt. Naka Crater during dormant periods, rainwater and spring water fill up in the crater lake which is turned into a lovely emerald green due to the inclusion of sulphur and iron, and the lake is heated close to 90 degrees Celsius where you can see the steam rising. By the lake, there is also a concrete shelter in case of emergencies. There are times when entry to the crater is limited because of periodic shifts in the wind and gas concentrations due to poisonous elements in the volcanic gases that spew from the crater which means that there are times when visits are not possible, so conduct based on regulation information is essential. In addition, there is Higuchi Nishi Observation Point from where you can view areas such as Mt. Eboshi and Mt. Kishima so that it is the perfect spot to view 360 degrees of the landscape of Mt. Aso. If you go along the trail from Higuchi Nishi Station, there is the sandy field of Sunasenri. Except for the trail, the entire area is black with volcanic ash, and here and there, volcanic projectiles from eruptions roll all over. After a rain, steam rises up from the surface which can be seen as something quite wondrous.