Japan Guide
Kyūshū
The Aso Caldera
This ancient crater, measuring 18km from east to west, 24km north to south and over 120km in circumference, was formed about 100,000 years ago when a vast volcano collapsed. As the rock cooled, a lake formed, but the eruptions continued, pushing up five smaller cones, today known collectively as Aso-san. Eventually the lake drained and the area became inhabited; now some 70,000 people live within the crater, working the rich volcanic soils, while cattle and horses graze the higher meadows in summer. Aso Town is a grandiose name for a scattered group of villages located in the northern caldera, including a tourist area around Aso Station where you'll find an information desk, accommodation and buses heading up the mountain or north to Beppu.