Takamori Dengaku-no-Sato

Top choice in Kyūshū


At this fantastic thatch-roofed ex-farmhouse the staff use oven mitts to grill dengaku (skewers of vegetables, meat including Aso beef, fish and tofu covered in the namesake dengaku: sweet miso paste) at your own irori embedded in the floor. It's a few minutes by car or taxi (about ¥600) from central Takamori. Cash only.

After lunch, stop by the restaurant's gift shop and cafe. Its atmospheric building was a Meiji period rice dealer's shop.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kyūshū attractions

1. Kamishikimi-Kumanoimasu-jinja

1.79 MILES

This gorgeous hilltop shrine and 'power spot' was pretty much left alone until it became the model for the set of the popular 2011 anime film Hotarubi no…

2. Naka-dake Crater

4.52 MILES

Naka-dake (1506m) is Aso's active volcano – very active in recent years, with fatal eruptions in 1958 and 1979, and other significant eruptions in 1989,…

3. Sensui Gorge

5.07 MILES

In mid-May this gorge boasts a dramatic carpet of azalea blooms. Ask at tourist-information offices about trail conditions before setting out. Due to…

4. Aso Volcano Museum

5.94 MILES

This old-school museum has exhibits and dioramas about Aso, volcanos in general and the sometimes fraught relationship locals have with the volcano system…

5. Aso-jinja

7.78 MILES

Dedicated to the 12 gods of the mountain, this shrine, including its revered gate, suffered severe damage in the 2016 earthquakes; photos show the scale…

6. Shiroyama Tembōjō Lookout

9.63 MILES

On the north side of the park, this lookout point is a nice alternative to the more crowded one at Daikanbō.

7. Daikanbō Lookout

11.72 MILES

High above the Aso-san caldera, Daikanbō is one of the best places to take in the views, even if it’s often crowded with tour buses. From the parking area…

8. Takachiho-jinja

13.15 MILES

About 10 minutes' walk from the bus centre, Takachiho-jinja is dramatically set in a grove of cryptomeria pines, including one that's over 800 years old…