A waterfall, a gorge and a bridge in historic and picturesque Kiso valley

Scenic drive from Hue to Hoi An via Hai Van pass: scenery and Buddhist sights.

Amano Iwato shrine is associated with the famous Japanese legend of Sun Goddess Amaterasu hiding in a cave. This is one of the most interesting shinto places I’ve seen in Japan.

Shirakawa Suigen is a famous fresh water spring, the source of Shirakawa river in Kumamoto prefecture.

Hotel Greenpia Minamiaso is a large establishment situated on the foothills of Aso caldera’s south rim. This location provides for an ideal view over the caldera, with the Five Peaks towering at the center.

Shimomiya, a small shrine sitting amidst rice fields in Aso caldera, would be totally unremarkable if not for one thing: an unusual event that takes place here every year from August to October.

Aso is a huge caldera of an ancient supervolcano that, as a result of its massive past super-eruptions collapsed onto itself, leaving an area of indented ground with a mountain range at its center which now holds an active crater. I rented a car and explored the area for 2 days.

This post is part of a series called Japan 2016 Kunisaki peninsula, a less traveled part of Kyushu, has been on my radar for a long time. It’s one of…