The day before we left, I checked and was worried that we might not be able to go up the mountain because of restrictions. Early that morning, we learned that the restrictions had been lifted and the area was open. The surprise of being able to visit the crater of Mount Aso's Nakadake was beyond words.
It was my first time standing this close to the edge of an active volcanic crater. Deep inside the enormous crater, emerald blue-green magma churned and bubbled, while billowing white smoke carried the pungent smell of sulfur. Compared with the tranquil, distant blue of Okama at Mount Zao in Tohoku, which I had visited before, the violently breathing Mount Aso before me felt more like the beating heart of the earth. It was astonishing.
The domed emergency shelters along the trail silently reminded us of nature's unpredictability. Just after we finished marveling at this incredible work of nature, an alarm sounded because the volcanic gas concentration had spiked, and we immediately returned to the visitor center. Looking back as the staff once again put up the barriers and closed the entrance, I felt even more grateful for that brief, fleeting encounter. An active volcanic site that is well worth visiting.
