Kusasenri-ga-hama Meadow
A vast circular meadow at 1,100m elevation on Mt. Aso, where horses graze around a mirror-flat pond while Nakadake volcano smokes in the background. One of the most surreal open landscapes in Japan.
1 hour
Free; parking ¥500 (cars, as of Jul 2024)
Always open; road may close during volcanic alerts — check Mt Aso alert level before visiting
Year-round; Spring for vivid green, Autumn for golden grass
20 min by bus from Aso Station; 10 min by car from Nakadake Crater
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Horses roaming freely with an active volcano smoking behind them
- 2
Mirror-flat pond reflects the twin Aso peaks on still mornings
- 3
Green in summer, golden in autumn, snow-covered in winter
Local Tips
The wide volcanic meadow with twin ponds (filling a former crater) at 1,000m is surreal and serene. Wild horses and cattle graze freely across the meadow year-round. The adjacent Aso Volcano Museum has the best monitoring feeds for the active Nakadake crater (500m away). Autumn brings brilliant yellow grasses — the meadow is most photogenic October–November.
Add to your AI itinerary
Let AI build a multi-day trip around this spot.
Advertisement
More in Kumamoto
Amakusa Sakitsu Village
A UNESCO World Heritage fishing village where a Catholic church sits at the water's edge — a legacy of hidden Christians who secretly practiced their faith for 250 years during Japan's Edo period ban on Christianity.
Daikanbo Overlook
The highest viewpoint on Aso's outer caldera rim, offering a full 360-degree panorama of the world's largest caldera and all five Aso peaks. This is the one spot where the true scale of the landscape becomes overwhelming.
Hitoyoshi Castle Ruins
Perched above the Kuma River, these haunting castle ruins offer an authentic slice of feudal Japan with almost no crowds. Boat rafting on the river below.