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NATUREKUMAMOTOAPPROXIMATELY92,800YEARSAGO:HOMOSAPIENSANDNEANDERTHALSCOEXIST;MAMMOTHSWALKTHEEARTH;PEOPLESTILLUSECDS;ANDTHEISLANDOFKYUSHUISBEINGRIPPEDASUNDERBYTHEERUPTIONOFMOUNTASO.ITHADALREADYBEENEXPLODINGONANDOFFFORTWOHUNDREDTHOUSANDYEARS,BUTTHISWASTHEBIGONE:THEMOUNTAINUNLEASHEDSUCHAFURYTHATITCOLLAPSEDINONITSELF–BUTNOTBEFORECOVERINGHALFOFTHEISLANDINASHANDGAS.IT’STHESORTOFAPOCALYPTICSCENETHAT’SQUITEHARDTOIMAGINEINTODAY’SCOMPARATIVELYSEDATE,BORINGWORLD.INFACT,WHENWEWENTTOVISITMOUNTASO’SCALDERATHISMORNING,THEENTIREPLACEWASPOSITIVELYSERENE.IT’STECHNICALLYTRUETHAT“50,000PEOPLELIVEINSIDETHEACTIVEVOLCANO”BUTTHAT’SABITLIKECLAIMINGSOMEONEWHOSLICESASANDWICHWITHABUTTERKNIFEISRISKINGAMPUTATION.ASOITSELFISCLASSIFIEDASACTIVE,BUTIT’SBEENWELLANDTRULYDEADSINCETHATPREHISTORICBLAST.BUTWHILETHERISKOFANYTHINGHAPPENINGTOTHEPEOPLEWHOLIVEINTHETOWNBELOWISNEGLIGIBLE,THEVIOLENCEOFTHEPASTHASPROVIDEDSOMEOFTHEMOSTUNIQUESCENERYANYWHEREINJAPAN.THECALDERAISSAIDTOBETHELARGESTINTHEWORLD,ANDTHEHUGE,FLATEXPANSEATITSBASEPROVIDESTHELOCALSWITHSOMEPARTICULARLYFERTILESOIL.MEANWHILE,THEENORMOUSSLOPESWHICHSURROUNDTHEMONALLSIDES,ARECOVEREDINGRASS,PROVIDINGDRIVERSANDMOTORCYCLISTS–SOMANYBIKERS!–AVERYUNUSUALLANDSCAPETOGOTOURING.SOMUCHOFJAPANISENGULFEDWITHTREESANDSUDDENVALLEYSTHATTHEGOLDEN,PAMPAS-SWATHEDVISTASHEREOFFERSOMETHINGWE’VEGENUINELYNOTSEENINANYOTHERPARTOFTHECOUNTRY.BUTWHILETHEMAINCALDERAISEXTINCT,THESAMECANNOTBESAIDFORTHEFIVEJUNIORPEAKSTHATLINERUNALONGITSANCIENTVOLCANICRIM.NO,THEYAREMUCHYOUNGER,MORELIVELYBEASTS,ESPECIALLYMOUNTNAKA.HEREISWHERETHELASTOFMOUNTASO’SANGERSIMMERSINTHESUNSHINE;THISISONEOFTHEFEWACTIVECALDERASINTHEWORLDINTOWHICHREGULARTOURISTSLIKEUSCANJUSTWALKUPTOTHEEDGEANDSTAREINTOITSSMOKYABYSS.KATYANDIAREFORTUNATEENOUGHTOHAVESCALEDACOUPLEOFVOLCANOESINTHEPASTYEAR–ONEINCHILEANDONEINNICARAGUA.WETHOUGHTTHEYWEREBREATHTAKINGATTHETIME,BUTWECOULDN’TLOOKDIRECTLYINTOTHEBELLYOFEITHER.BUTIT’SNOTTHESMOKING,PITTHATMAKESNAKA/ASOSOSPECIAL,IT’STHEKILOMETREAFTERKILOMETREOFWEIRDVOLCANICSCENERYTHATLIESALLAROUND,AGEOLOGICALLAYERCAKEOFMINERALS.DAY74NOVEMBER27THMOUNTASO,KUMAMOTOCHILDRENOFTHEVOLCANO
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