Mt. Aso Nakadake Crater
In Japanese: 阿蘇山 中岳火口
The active crater of Mt. Nakadake, reached by road almost to the rim. When open, you look down at an emerald-green crater lake with rising steam, bare lava rock and striped crater walls.
Nearby
- Sensuikyo Gorge ≈ 15 min by car
- Kusasenri (Mt. Aso) ≈ 15 min by car
- Shirakawa Spring ≈ 25 min by car
- Aso Shrine ≈ 25 min by car
- Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine ≈ 25 min by car
Travel times are rough estimates by car.
- Getting there
- About 35 min by Sanko Bus from Aso Sta. to Aso-san-jo Terminal (9 buses a day); crater shuttle from there when open
- Good to know
- Alert level 2 since Sep 1, 2026: no entry within about 1 km of the crater, so crater viewing is not possible. Park road 8:30–18:00 (Nov 8:30–17:30, Dec–Mar 20 9:00–17:00); may close for volcanic gas
- Time needed
- 1 h
Checked against the official Japanese website on 2026-10-15. Report outdated info