Aso mountain is the general term referring to 5 mountains.
Nakadake (1592m) is one of them, and is the only one still active.
The photo above is the caldera, which can be seen if the weather and wind condition is all right.
The last large eruption happend 90,000 years ago.

This board tells gas condition, and whether or not you can go close to caldera.

When we say `Aso’, it includes the huge area including caldera. During harvest season, mountains are covered with golden pampas grass.

You can enjoy local food in Takamori Area.

Japanese people love to take souvenior photo.

On sunny days, Aso is a perfect touring route for motorbike riders.

Throughout Japan, you can find variety of softcreams, but this is something special!
(You can get this at Dai-Kan-Bo)

Beside pampas grass, what you can enjoy in this season (Oct-Nov) is cosmos flowers, and leaves starting to get color.

*To get to Kyushu Island, you can fly to Fukuoka Airport from Tokyo(1′45”)/Osaka(1′20”)/Nagoya(1′30”), or can take a Shinkansen Bullet Train, or fly from Asian countries such as Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines. From Fukuoka Airport, you can take express trains to variety of destinations. Kyushu express trains are unique and is very comfortable. The view from express trains is something amazing !!

Fukuoka, which already has a very good reputation among residents,
business people (especially Tanshin-Funin people* !), domestic tourists,
and also oversea visitors, first appeared in the latest MONOCLE magazine,
and introduced as the best shopping city, and the 16th livable place.

As a resident, Fukuoka is;
-Gourmet! Especially recommendable is ramen noodle, seafood, local shochu (distilled spirit).
-Friendly! People show welcome mood to visitors.
-Modern! Fukuoka has many beautiful architectures in city center area.
-Fashionable! You’ll know once you walk into Tenjin area, especially in the evening.
-Comfortable! 1.5 million population is just OK to make the city exciting, not too crowded.
-Clean. very clean and organized.
-On the sea! Beautiful beach is available within an hour drive from the city center.
-Convinient! Within a walking distance you can find almost everything there’s in Tokyo.
-Accessible! From Tokyo to Fukuoka = 2 hous’ flight. From Tokyo to Fukuoka= 1.5 hours’ flight
(because of the way wind blows. )
-Happy! Fuku means Blessing or Happiness, Oka means Hill. So Fukuoka is literally happy
-And lots more things you’ll find when you visit !!

Yatai food stalls are popular among tourists and local people.
Fukuoka is the perfect place to enjoy nightlife !

Another urban area named Momochi is about half an hour from Tenjin, which is a romantic dating spot.
234 meter Fukuoka Tower is amazingly beautiful at night.

FUKUOKA Related Posts
Try Maiko Makeup @ Yoji-ya
ICHIRAN Ramen Shop, special lunch box version @ Canal City Hakata !
ICHIRAN Ramen Shop @ Canal City Hakata, more photoes, English order sheet, and my recommendation
Antenna Shops of Hakata; foods, cup-sake, Glico @ Canal City Hakata

These are colors for your eyes and lips. Each is from Japanese traditional natural colors of flowers, fruits, snow, etc.
They may look unusual, but once you put them, you’ll find they fit beautifully.

Lip balm made of Yuzu (Japanese citrus), with relaxing sweet sour scent.
The woman illustrated on the cap is the cover girl of Yojiya’s Aburatorigami, facial oil blotting paper, a popular Kyoto souvenior among girls.

Original makeup tools. These brushes are made of goats’ hair.

Soap, Lotion…skin care items to make moistured skin.

Variety of high quality makeup brushes, all made in Japan.

Adding `red’ to eyelids and lips, `sakura (cherry blossom)’ to cheeks.

Snow-skin is essencial to Maiko makeup.
So finish with a light dusting of translucent snow white powder.

The great advantage of visiting counter is that you can get personal makeup advice face-to-face.
What I found out today is, this Maiko makeup is very cool (I mean not simply traditional), and I can put it on everyday. So please try :>

*Photographed and Reported at Yojiya @Daimaru, Fukuoka Tenjin.

But Nagasaki seemed like a great place to live. There’s great food (though this is true of just about every city in Japan) - try the Saraudon for dinner in Chinatown after spending the day strolling round the city and taking in the sights at one of the many scenic spots. Check out Glover Garden, where some of the first western merchants to Japan built their mansions, or maybe watch the sunset from the top of Mt. Inasa (you can get a ropeway up there - if you go around sunset, stay around until it starts to get dark and you can see the lights, like jewels, around the harbour). 

Nagasaki has quite a strong European influence - a friend of mine I was travelling with from New Orleans said one street reminded him of the townhouses in the French Quarter - which makes it an interesting place to just stroll around, and it is just small enough to get around on by foot, though there are quite a few hills involved, which itself makes it a more interesting and attractive city. And if you’re travelling on a budget, try the Nagasaki Hostel Akari - the rooms are basic, but the people that run it are very friendly, and it is in a nice area along the Nakashima river where all the stone bridges are.

So go visit Nagasaki - it’s lovely!

Shinto Priest is getting the evel spirit away from the people.

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is the most popular Shinto Shrine, especially for those who want to pass the entrance exam.

For many Japanese students, entrance exam of high schools and universities is a big challenge, so they make special wish at Shinto Shrines.

By the way, Shinto is not a religion. Most Japanese are Budhist, and at the same time, have the Shitoism idea as the basic concept.

In Shitoism, instead of almighty god, we have 8 million `kamisamas‘, who are very friendly, quite humane, and equal to we human beings.

Everywhere in this world, in the sky, on the ground, in fire, water, trees… we see kamisamas’ spirit inside. Even in our words, kamisamas exist, which we call `koto-dama’.

Japanese people visits Shinto Shrines on many events, marriage, Shichi-Go-San (when children reaches 3, 5, and 7 years old), new born baby celebration, new year visit….

Today many Japanese people may not be religeous any longer, but at least are `spiritual’.

You may image that the traditional Japanese food is quite expensive. Oｆ cause that’s right to some extent, so is haute cuisine, but actually such food is not everyday diet.

Then, try Izakaya food. it’s not so expensive but yummy! Find a red lantern! Red lantern indicates “Izakaya”, or Japanese tavern.

There are many old Japanese tavern Izakaya underneath the elevated railway between JR Yurakucho Station and Shimbashi Station, established around 60’s.

I went to one of the izakaya, Shin-Hinomoto, foreigners also called ‘Andy’s Izakaya’!

It’s highly recommended, because of great fish dishes, nostalgic atmosphere and English-speaking owner there!!

His name is Andy(That makes sense, Andy’s Izakaya!), so friendly and kind!  

(fish dish—JPY630~ / Beer—JPY504~ / eel tempura—630)

Izakaya has long been indispensable for workers.

 Especially in the postwar period, it played an important role as the place where workers have encouraged each other while drinking. They worked very hard to bring the Japanese economic recovery. Such drinking custom and exuberant air remain there even now.

I bet you enjoy Japanese Izakaya!

By the way, my friend told me a funny sign on the map of Tokyo on the way back to the station…

“Shelter for People who Cannot Go Back Home”

Very close to the Imperial Palace. Let’s check it out. Maybe you’ll bump into drunken people who miss the last train. That’s also a Japanese figure??

It’s sometimes very crowded because of a design school near this cafe! Homemade chiffon cake is also great!

-Hatoh-

[Address] 1-15-19, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku,Tokyo

[Access] please check google map which I pointed it out.
[Open] 11:00~23:00 (365days)

[Cost] ¥800~

There are many kinds of Hamburg steak’s tastes and sizes. I saw some people ate three humbergs(each of them is 150g). I ate “half & half” which concists of Cheese and normal testes.My wife orderd “East and West” concisting of Cheese hamburg and hamburg with soy source&grated radish. Whether it’s good or not good depends on people… During eating, I thought this was really rich taste. That’s why young men & women love it.

-Gold Rush HQ-

[Address] 4F, 4-7, Tohsen Udagawa building, Udagawa-cho,Shibuya,
[Access] 8min from Shibuya station( JR Yamate line , Metro)

-Gold Rush Part.1-

[Address]Shibuya studio building 1F, 41-8, Udagawa-cho,Shibuya,Tokyo

[Time] Open: everyday
Lunch: 11:30〜16:00（Mon〜Sat LastOrder/16:00）

Dinner: 16:00〜23:00（LastOrder/22:00）

On the way to going Itoh or Izu peninsula from Atami, there is “Taga soba” producing good atmosphere with old Japanese house in Taga ( 15min from Atami station by car). Soba here is a little bit hard texture. I think , however, Soba is “the harder, the better”. Making sounds is also good way to eat SOBA! Let’s make sounds! My grand father told me “the bigger sounds, the better.”

Taga soba has many kinds of soba. My favorite soba is Mori soba( cold Soba on a top of plate) with Sakura ebi tempura. Sakura ebi(Cherry blossoms shrimp) is one of the special product in Izu area. Even many Japanese go to Izu don’t know here but it’s always crowded. But I think one can enjoy waiting because there is a garden inside and the Pacific ocean in front of this restaurant. I don’t recommend that one go there by a taxi from ATAMI in that R135 going Taga soba is sometimes terrible traffic jam. Using a train must be great.

-Taga Soba-

[Address] 798, Kamitaga , Atam-shi, Shizuoaka-ken , Japan
[Access] Izu Taga station (JR Itoh line from Atami) Tokaido line and Shinkansen(Kodama) goes to Atami from Tokyo (100min/ express 80min) . 10 min from Izu Taga station. (Near R135)

[Tel] 0557-68-1012

[Open] 11:00 ~ 16:00 Last order / 15:50 [Close]Thurday

[Map] more photos and a rough map in Japanese

I almost forget .. Cold Iwanori soba(please put good seaweed in a soup) also one of my favorite.