Kikuchi Valley

Kikuchi Valley is the located in Aso and Kikuchi, Kumamoto cities in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It is the source of the Kikuchi River. The valley is an area famous for its resorts and autumn leaves.

The area around the outer rim of Mount Aso is concealed by fir, hemlock, elm, and broadleaf trees. Water from the Aso Kujū National Park has been chosen to be among the top 100 places for mineral water in the country . The valley has received several distinctions.

A number of drowning accidents have occurred.

The area is home to numerous waterfalls, which have made Japan’s top 100 waterfalls list, and rapids.

Recreation Forest

The woodlands around Kikuchi Valley have been designated as one of the top one hundred forest reserves in Japan.

Mountain	Area (ha)	Altitude (m)	Man-Made Forest (%)	Natural Forest (%)	Tree Species	Rorest Protectionestricted Forests	Classification	Water flow (m3 / day)
Daikanbou	1,200	400 ~ 900	66	33	Japanese beech, maple, Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, Japanese elm, oak, fir	Forest protected by law, recreational forest	Natural spring, Kikuchi river, subterranean river	100,000

The woodland area, which covers the peaks and foothills of the mountains around the outer rim of Mount Aso, was developed and is being maintained by monitoring and working to prevent increasing pollution levels. The river has become an important source of water for the 21 municipalities below, who have created an association to regulate the water.

References

Coordinates: 33°00′18″N 130°56′27″E / 33.0050°N 130.9409°E