We went to the Sozankyo ryokan, in Uchinomaki (North-West of the caldera) in April 2012. I assume there are buses going to Uchinomaki, but I'm not sure; it's possible one has to alight at Uchinomaki train station, which is not in Uchinomaki centre either. The information can probably be gathered in the Aso Tourist Office, which is also very handy... More

I decided to travel to Aso-shi to check out Mount Aso, an active volcano. I chose to stay at Sozankyo because I wanted to stay at a ryokan at at onsen nearby. My pre-trip research indicated that Uchinomaki Spa (where Sozankyo is located) was located relatively close to Aso train station, and public transit provided provided relatively inexpensive access to... More

My daughter and I arrived in Japan (Osaka) the day after the disaster. We were not sure what to expect but it was business as usual from Osaka south and east. Our travel was not impacted by the quake/tsunami at all. Japanese people are very concerned about how tourism will be affected, so please don't cancel your trip; go and... More