Hello everyone, I’m Ringo🍎. Today Miss Ando took Luna🌙 and me to walk around Aso Shrine. Aso is a place that is full of spring water. And our first spot today is called Yakuinbaru Spring.
When we arrived, we witnessed a local elderly man filling the container with spring water. It shows the great quality of spring water from Aso👍🏻.
And then we came to the most important part of today, visiting Aso Shrine.
It is said that Aso Shrine was built 2000 years ago. Aso Shrine is one of the “Three Great Romon Gates of Japan ” along with Kashima Jingu Shrine in Ibaraki and Hakozaki Shrine in Fukuoka.
Unfortunately, the shrine was heavily damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, with the Romon Gate collapsing completely. They reused lumber from the original structure and combined it with new wood. Some parts of the buildings were even reinforced with steel to improve their stability.
The reconstruction was finally completed in late 2023✅. What’s more, there is a pine tree 🌳 famous for bringing good fortune in finding marriage. It is said that people will be blessed if women walk around the pine tree twice clockwise, or men twice counterclockwise.
After visiting Aso Shrine, I highly recommend taking a walk around the Monzen-machi Shopping Street. The most unique feature here is the many different natural spring water⛲️ along both sides of the street. Each spring has its own special benefit.
The “Kinmyaku no Izumi” is said to bring good fortune in wealth. In addition to tasting the sweet and beneficial spring water, there is also a unique water divination here. Put the water divination paper in the water, and the content will gradually appear. Once it dries, the words will disappear. The divination content is even written in the Kumamoto dialect, which is really super interesting😊.
I highly recommend you to give it a try too!
Near Aso Shrine and Monzen-machi, there is a place called “Former Girls’ School🏫”. This place has transformed from a former sewing school and sewing factory into a secret garden with vintage cafes and furniture stores. It looks like a scene from Ghibli’s movie!
Unfortunately, some of the stores were closed when we visited. What a pity🥺!
Next, we went into one of the shops in the Former Girls’ School area called “Kanzarashi no Mise Yui”. The owner is a very kind old man who chatted enthusiastically with us. This shop is very special. Not only does it sell some antique collections, but it also sells soda drinks chilled with natural spring water.
In addition, you can also experience the unique Japanese summer tradition🎋 of Nagashi Somen (flowing noodles) here.
About the transportation, there are buses that from Aso Station go directly to Aso Shrine. It’s very convenient. Those spots are also all around Aso Shrine, so you can easily get there even without a car! I recommend this half-day trip to everyone, and welcome to follow in our footsteps exploring Aso together!
That’s all about it for today, and I can’t wait to go to our next destination!
Ringo and Luna
