FUKUOKA -- Kumamoto Prefecture's mountainous Aso region is a place where you could get drunk on nature's immensity. Swing your car onto Aso's Panorama Line road, step on the accelerator and you'll fly past grassy plains stretching upward to the green-tipped crags of Mount Aso and its five peaks. Here, sigh city visitors, is a vast sky and a sweeping horizon one simply doesn't expect to see in Japan.
It's no surprise that Aso now attracts more tourists than any other area in Kyushu apart from Fukuoka City. It has much to offer, namely Kyushu's largest national park, the active volcano Mount Aso, gurgling hot springs, verdant forests and mainland Kyushu's tallest peaks (up to 1,791 meters high). In addition, the area is a mere two hours from Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Oita cities by expressway, making it an easy stop on the itineraries of most Kyushu visitors.
And therein lies the rub. The area's natural beauty has brought increasing traffic and cheerful tourist buildings now dot previously uninterrupted expanses of green. Each new development brings with it the potential for environmental harm.