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April 1998
A big cherry tree in the southern Aso caldera (Hakusui, Kumamoto)
The tree is Prumus jamasakura, 17 m high and about 400 years old. The shape of the tree in full bloom is very beautiful. Japanese people like drinking under cherry trees in spring.
June 1998
Azelea flowers in the northern Aso caldera (Ichinomiya, Kumamoto)
"Miyamakirishima" (Rhododendron kiusianum), an Ericaceae family, is found on volcanic slopes in Kyushu, southwestern Japan. Sensuikyo Valley on the northern slope of Aso central cone is famous for Miyamakirishima communities. They bloom in mid and late May. It looks like beautiful red carpets.
August 1998
Onda Festival of Aso Shrine (Ichinomiya, Kumamoto)
"Onda Festival", which is a very important festival of Aso Shrine, is performed on July 28 every year in order to hope a good crop of rice. Women with white cloth walking in rice fields bring us the real feeling of summer in Aso district.
October 1998
Buckwheat field in Aso (Namino, Kumamoto)
In September, buckwheat, which is a material of Japanese noodle "soba", blooms in field of Namino, eastern Kumamoto. Although each flower is so small, the buckwheat field in full bloom is very beautiful. Autumn comes shortly after the bloom of buckwheat.
November 1998
Cosmos flowers at foot of Kuju volcano (Ubuyama, Kumamoto)
There are some cosmos fields in areas between Aso and Kuju volcanoes, central Kyushu. The cosmos flowers in full bloom are very beautiful. Many families enjoy their picnic in the fields. I recommend you to go to Higotai Park (Ubuyama, Kumamoto) and Kuju Flower Park (Kuju, Oita), which are located at the foot of Kuju volcano, in autumn if you have girl /or boy friends and family. The background of the photograph is central cones of Aso volcano situated southwest of Kuju volcano.
January 1999
Union Square of San Francisco during holiday season
A big Christmas tree is beautifully decorated in the center of Union Square, downtown San Francisco during holiday season. How beautiful is the tree with illumination at night! Many people are going home with presents for their family and their special persons.
June 1999
Field burning in the Aso district (Ichinomiya, Kumamoto)
In Spring Farmers burn their glass land to prevent the field changing into forests. Field burning has been conducted since the ancient time. Recently, the area of field burning has decreased because of farmer population decrease. However, the scene of filed burning is very spectacular.
January 2000
La Paz, Bolivia
La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, is located at an alutitude of about 3,600 m. The city was established in a narrow basin of Andes Range. High buildings have constructed in the center and thousands of houses on steep side slopes of the basin. The rare air on high mountains keeps us from moving rapidly and sometimes causes altitude sickness.
February 2000
Valle de la Luna, La Paz, Bolivia
La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, is located in a narrow basin of Andes Range. The city has about 0.8 million people. Valle de la Luna means Moon Valley in Spanish, because the place looks like surface of the moon. Severe slope erosion (see right photo) has occurred in ajacent areas of La Paz. How many tourists do know the situation? If you stay in La Paz, you should visit Valle de la Luna.
April 2000
Pyramids of Teotihuacan, Mexico
Teotihuacan, located about 50 km northeast of Mexico City, is a famous ancient Mexican monument (500 BC to 700 AD). Huge pyramids are so spectacle. View is from the Moon Pyramid to the Sun Pyramid. It is very easy to visit Teotihuacan from Mexico City by bus (only about $3.5 for one way).
June 2000
Nekodake, Aso volcano
I enjoyed view of Nekodake, one of pre-caldera volcano located in eastern part of Aso caldera, on a day after rain. Green grasslands and blue sky are very beautiful. Nekodake has jagged peaks because it has been strongly eroded for a long time.
September 2000
Batur caldera, Indonesia
Batur caldera is located at northeastern part of Bali, Indonesia. Two large-scale eruptions formed the caldera. There are Lake Batur and Batur volcano (central cones) in the caldera. Their landscape is so beatiful and the caldera is one of representative sightseeing spots in Bali. The photo was taken from the southern rim of Batur caldera on 20 July 2000 (fieldtrip of the IAVCEI Bali meeting).
November 2000
A grassland of Aso volcano in late autumn
January 2001
Snowscape of Aso at the beginning of the new century
March 2001
View from North Head, Auckland, New Zealand
Beautiful sea-side city "Auckland" has many conical hills which are scoria cones formed by ancient eruptions.
April 2001
Phreatic explosion occurred in Rotorua, New Zealand
Rotorua is one of famous sightseeing city in New Zealand. The city has many hot springs and geothermal areas. On 26 January 2001, a muddy hot pool erupted violently, generating the largest hydrothermal eruption in a park, downtown of Rotorua, since 1966. The surrounding area was damaged by rock debris and mud ejected from the vent. On 27 March 2001, a very small eruption of mud and water occurred in the mud pool. Photograph taken on 16 February 2001.
July 2001
Miyakejima volcano
Miyakejima volcano began erupting in July 2000. The eruption formed a caldera on the summit area. Gas emission continues and almost all inhabitants have evacuated for a year.
Septermber 2001
Stepped rice paddies in Aso volcano
July 2002
Miyakejima volcano, two years after the 2000 eruption
August 2002
Yusuikyo Gorge, NE Kumamoto, in summer
The Yusuikyo Gorge is located north of Aso volcano, NE Kumamoto. The densely welded Aso-4 pyroclastic flow deposit (about 90,000 years ago) dominates along the gorge, and forms a flat and smooth river floor. The unique floor is famous for a natural water slide. A lot of children play sliding down the floor.
October 2002
Matsumoto Castle (Matsumoto City, Nagano, central Japan)
January 2003
A active fault discovered at Konobaru archaeological site (Aso town, Kumamoto)
A active fault was discovered at Konobaru archaological site, northern part of Aso caldera. The fault was about 30 m long east to west and was supposed to be formed by a intense earthquake about 2,000 years ago. This discovery provides important information about earthquake hazards in Aso caldera.
April 2003
The Kawabegawa River, southern Kumamoto
Photo was taken at the confluence of the Kawabegawa River (left) and the Kumagawa River (right). The Kawabegawa River has clear water, whereas the Kumagawa River has whity-stagnated water. The diffence in water quality might be due to differences in population, land use and dams in their upstream areas.
August 2003
Kusasenrigahama crater, Aso volcano (Kumamoto)
Kusasenrigahama crater was formed by a large eruption about 30,000 years ago. There is a densely welded pumice-fall deposit which was produced by the eruption at the southern rim of the crater.
Background is Kishimadake scoria cone (about 3-4 ka).
May 2004
Fresh green of the Kitamukiyama natural forest, Aso volcano (Kumamoto)
Kitamukiyama is a precious natural forest in the Aso region. It is difficult to access to the forest because it is located on steep left bank of the Shirakawa River. Therefore, the brilliant forest remains.
November 2005
Kishimadake crater, Aso volcano (Kumamoto)
Kishimadake, one of Holocene scoria cones of Aso Volcano, has a few crater not only on the summit but also on the eastern slope. These craters indicate that this volcano was produced by several explosive eruptions. Less than one hour walk to the summit from the Kusasenri parking area will give you a very nice view.
July 2006
Crater lake at Pinatubo Volcano (Philippines)
The largest eruption in the last century occurred at Pinatubo Volcano (Philippines) in June 1991. The summit and its surrounding areas were devastated extensively by large pyroclastic flows and lahars (debris flows and mudflows) associated with the eruption. Now a beautiful lake was formed at the crater and many people visit the crater lake by hiking. Hillslopes of the volcano have been mostly vegetated although only 15 years have passed after the eruption.
May 2008
Incandescence at Nakadake crater (Aso Volcano)
Recently the southern wall of the Nakadake first crater is incandescent due to ejection of high-temperature volcanic gas.
Copyright (C) Yasuo Miyabuchi
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