Location: Kawayu, Teshikaga, Kawakami District, Hokkaido 088-3461
Even before arriving at Mt. Io, I could smell sulfur often while driving.
There is a facility like a big roadside station and a parking lot.
What a strong smell of sulfur. The smell is stronger than any hot spring resort I've ever been to.
I was stunned for a while by such a large-scale scenery.
I can't believe this kind of place exists. Is this the earth? Isn't this Venus or somewhere else?
There is a fashion model shooting group. Certainly, for this otherworldly backdrop, it's worth the trip to visit this far away land.
Many tourists are a little stunned like me. Walk through a lava wasteland covered in yellow sulfur to reach the fenced area.
A little further away, there are two rows of straight walls. I wonder what they are. Was there a path for the lava to flow? No, it's narrow for that, and it's buried here and there. I checked about this later and found out that it's a remain of a railroad built to transport sulfur.
The closer I get, the stronger the smell of sulfur. I think the white smoke is just steam. Depending on the direction of the wind, I directly inhaled the steam , but it only smelled like sulfur.
I feel like I've seen this yellow rock cluster somewhere before.
Oh yeah, it's the place to charge up Thunder's magic in Final Fantasy 15. (Sorry for those who don't understand.) Once I think so, this only looks like it.
Boiling water is gushing out here and there, even if it's not on the other side of the fence. Pretty dangerous.
This is the first time I have seen sulfur crystals in their natural state. This was processed into match tips and explosives.
What does it feel like to touch these yellow sulfur crystals? I wonder if it's fluffy? Or crispy? If I touch it, I will definitely get a serious burn, so I can only imagine.
I decided to walk the remain of the railway and check out the places where there are no tourists.
There are tall, pine-like trees. Another sulfur blowing out area comes into view. Tourists are not allowed to climb here.
Scenery like CG of a movie.
You can't see it in the picture, but the rocks that are casually rolling are very big. I think these weigh tons. I guess this kind of rock rolls around on a daily basis.
Mt. Io, please definitely visit. I highly recommend. If you leave your suitcase or bag in the car before you climb, it's better to put the bag in a plastic bag. Inside of your car will smell like strong sulfur when you come back.