Tour of "mizuiki" springs in Aso

It has one of the largest calderas in the world,
Aso Nakadake, which still raises a plume of smoke from time to time.
Aso has a strong image as a land of fire, but in fact it is also a land of water.
In Aso, where it rains frequently, clean underground water flows underground,
It gushes out to the ground.

Delicious water from Aso, a mountain of fire
Wander around in search of "Sui Kei" (water base)

Aso has been fed by underground water from Mt. Aso since time immemorial, and clear spring water can be seen everywhere. The people of Aso have lived with the blessings of fresh water. The "Monzenmachi Shopping Street" located beside the Aso Shrine, the largest shrine in Aso, is no exception. The local people call this area "mizuiki," which means "base of water. The local people call it "mizuiki," which means "base of water," and it has been used for drinking and living water since ancient times.
The water is available under the eaves of the stores, and visitors to the Aso Shrine can freely draw water from them. One of the shopkeepers says, "For a while, the Monzenmachi shopping street was deserted. One of the shopkeepers says, "The shopping street was deserted for a while, and it was the water base that revitalized it. Although the area was damaged by the Kumamoto earthquake and the number of tourists has decreased due to corona infections, tourism is gradually returning to the area.
Each of these "mizuiki" has its own name. The one in front of the Kumamoto Bank is called "Kin-tei no Izumi" ("Spring of Golden Veins"), the one in front of the Higo Bank is called "Kin-un no Izumi" ("Spring of Golden Luck"), the one at the clock shop is called "Takezawa no Shizuku" ("Drop of Chikutaku"), the one at the sake shop is called "Sakamori no Mizu" ("Water of Sakamori") and so on. There are more than 15 locations in the shopping district alone.
The stationery store "Tambaya" sells "Goshinsui Omikuji" (divine water fortune). When dipped in water, the characters appear on the omikuji. It is made in the style of a scroll and comes in a variety of colors and designs. Dip the omikuji into the water in front of the eaves of the building. You can see what kind of oracle you will get. While browsing the specialties of the shopping street, take out some horse croquettes or cream puffs, and enjoy a tour of the water base.

A retro school building gets a stylish makeover!
Spend the day at a hidden spot in Aso

After exiting the torii gate leading north through the Monzenmachi shopping street, turn left and you will come to the site of the former women's school. This was once a sewing school for women called "Private Miyaji Sewing School for Women" founded in 1902. The school operated until 1977, after which it was converted to a sewing factory, which was closed in 2001. However, five years later, the current owner purchased the site.
Since then, it seems that people have gathered to open stores utilizing old school buildings, in addition to the Kanzarashi store that the owner runs using the former school principal's office. The building of the antique store "TOMMY'S" is a school building built in the Taisho era. The school building built in 1937 has been turned into "TIEN TIEN," a stylish miscellaneous goods and café. The small building that used to be a bathhouse has been converted into "Komeko," a coffee and sweets store. There is also "Kitakaze Punch," which sells original accessories.
And also the water base. There are three water sources here: "Kaiun-no-Mizu," "Ryumei-Spring," and "Shin-Etsu-Spring. Shinetsu-sen" is named after Etsuko Kouyama, the founder of the women's school. The old wooden school buildings line the street, and the sound of a babbling brook, spring water, and wild birds can be heard in the perfect location. The spring water is also used to fill the principal's office, which is the oldest building on the site of the school for girls, and is used to make kanzarashi and cider! In summer, somen noodles are also available.
The water base tour and the ruins of the women's school are recommended sightseeing spots in Aso.

Monzenmachi Shopping Street, Aso Ichinomiya Town Development Site
Aso City Tourism Association
Kanzarashi store Yui ☎ 0967-22-5488