Guide to each city, town and village
Mt. Aso's somma (a volcanic caldera partly filled by a new central cone) is among the world's finest and and its silhouette with that of Aso Gotake (the "five mountains") provides a magnificent view. Takamori Town, located between the Aso Gotake and its southern soma, is a place of beauty and tranquility and is said to be the inner parlor of Aso. Takamori's symbol is the jagged head "Nekodake", one of the Aso Gotake mountains. Its altitude is 1408 meters and its ridge runs east and west like the blade of a saw. It is well known for a huge Tengu rock rising in its center.
From Kumamoto City
National route No. 57 from Kumamoto City to Aso, and get onto National route No.325 after crossing Choyou Ohasi(bridge).
From Fukuoka
Get off at the Kyushu Expressway Kumamoto IC to Aso (National Route No 57). After crossing Choyo Ohasi bridge, get onto Route No.325.
From Oita
From Oita City to Kumamoto on National route No. 57, and, past Aso city, to the route 325 after crossing Choyou bridge.
From Kagoshima
On Kyushu Expressway, off at Mashiki Kumamoto Airport Interchange to Kumamoto Airport Minami Aso (Local Road 36). Turn right before Kumamoto Airport (Prefectural Route 206).
Change at the Kagoshima Main Line's Kumamoto station to the Hohi main line. Get off at Tateno station (50 minutes by local train) and transfer to the Minami Aso railway to the final station Takamori
(* Currently, the Southern Aso Railway runs only between Nakamatsu to Takamori)
From Nagasaki, Unzen and Shimabara, the bus ride between Kumamoto station and Tawarayama Bypass is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.