Aso Global Geopark

Aso Global Geopark is located in the centre of Kyushu, the south east island of Japan. The Geopark possesses a giant caldera (18km East-West, 25km South-North) formed by four super eruptions about 270,000 to 90,000 years ago, central cones and an active crater. The Aso volcano was the centre of an ancient volcano-related religion and some of its folk traditions continue today. About 50,000 people live inside the caldera. Stabilised infrastructure and controlled monitoring systems for volcanic activity allow visitors to explore the area and observe the caldera topography easily. The major part of the Geopark lies within Aso Kuju National Park, the first Japanese National Park designated in 1934. Remains of Stone Age settlements about 30,000 years ago have been found on the peaks surrounding the caldera.