Aso San

In Beppu this morning I went to an Onsen - hot spring. Unlike the 'hell' hot spring from yesterday, Onsen are Japanese public baths. The water was hot - 43C! So you can't soak for too long without needed to pour cold water over yourself.

After my Onsen visit I got the train to Aso. Hot springs mean volcanoes and Mount Aso is one of the most active in Japan. So active that the crater is closed with a 2km exclusion around it which means the volcano museum is also closed! 

This is the view of Mount Aso (Aso San in Japanese) from a small hill on the opposite side of Aso town. The peaks all form part of the volcano. It's beautiful here. But it's got to be a strain living next to a mountain that boosts the local economy through tourism but could kill at any time.