Mt. Aso is the generic name for the 5 mountains of Nekodake, Takadake, Nakadake, Eboshidake, and Kishimadake. One of the largest calderas in the world and the outer rim with a circumference of 128 km surround these mountains. Mt. Aso is loved by the people of the prefecture as the symbol of Kumamoto, “Fire Country.” The area around Mt. Aso is designated as Aso Kuju National Park and visited by a lot of tourists all the year round. You can take a ropeway from to the top of Mt. Nakadake to see the crater, which is still active. If you take a trolley running in the southern outer rim area, you will enjoy the scenic beauty of the mountains. In this area, there are also two famous sightseeing spots; the Sugaruga Taki Waterfall with a height of 60 meters and the Shirakawa Riverhead, which springs out 60 tons of water per minute.