Welcome back to Michino Eki Aso!
What comes to your mind when someone mentions “Japan”? Sushi, kimono, or Mt. Fuji, perhaps? For me, it’s the red maple leaves known as “Momiji” in Japanese and the stunning yellow autumn foliage. When the season changes from summer to autumn, the leaves on the trees transform in color, a process known as “Kouyou.”
I realize it’s a bit late to mention autumn leaves now, but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to appreciate Kouyou in the Aso area. We visited one of the best Kouyou spots here, known as Kikuchi Gorge. It’s a bit of a journey from Michino Eki Aso, taking us over 35 minutes to reach there.
Take a moment to enjoy these views. We were in a rush to catch the sunlight and make it before closing time so that we could capture the autumn leaves. Even the way to Kikuchi Gorge was full of Momiji colors, adding to my excitement.
The funny thing is that we lost our way to the entrance, and Google led us to the wrong parking spot. Surprisingly, the Kouyou colors at the wrong parking spot didn’t disappoint.
When we got to the Kikuchi Gorge parking lot, we had to walk up 200 meters to the entrance. This is the stunning bridge with a colorful Kouyou background on the way up to the entrance.
It was a bit exhausting for me as we were in a hurry to get there on time.But once we got there, I couldn’t agree more that it was worth it.
The entrance fee was 300 yen each, and the view from the entrance bridge was breathtaking.
On the other side of the bridge, a beautiful waterfall caught my eye, driving us to venture into the park. As you can see in the photo, careful steps were necessary—I even fell down there!
There you go…..
Despite the stumble, I genuinely love this view and wished I could spend more time diving in the scenery. For me, the standout features of this autumn were the Kouyou colors and the flowing stream.
Why don’t you visit Kikuchi Gorge when you’re in Aso? I’m sure that it’s beautiful in every season.
That’s all for today, and I hope to see you in Aso.
Min Min
