An experience unique in all the world: a private concert.
Have you ever wanted to have a whole concert venue to yourself to blast your favorite music, your own personal concert? Well, in Aso, Kumamoto it is possible to cheaply rent out a whole amphitheater for your personal listening pleasure.
In South Aso there lies Aspecta, an amphitheater tucked away on a mountainside, backed by trees and mountain peaks, with a sweeping view of the south side of Mt. Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. The amphitheater has been described by the local Japanese as the most beautiful outdoor amphitheater in the world - a visit there quickly shows it’s not just local pride talking. And at this amazing concert venue, which is host to numerous concerts every year, it is possible to have a private concert. Yup, that’s right, your own personal private concert.
There on the southern edge of one of the world’s largest calderas (25km by 18 km, with a circumference of 120km), one can listen to their favorite mix of music over the amphitheater’s speakers, a private concert fit for royalty. In any other concert venue in the world, one could assume that only a wealthy or well-connected person could rent out a whole amphitheater or concert venue for their own personal listening pleasure. But at Aspecta, it’s only 1000 yen per 30 minutes, regardless of the number of people you bring. Only 1000 yen to listen to all those songs you’ve always wanted to blast without caring about the neighbors, all while taking in an exceptionally beautiful landscape painted with rice fields, small Japanese villages, and volcanic peaks. And if 30 minutes isn’t enough, you can reserve more time.
Travelers to Japan often search out the 'Japanese experience.' Describing that experience is a task worthy of the most seasoned and articulate of writers. However, I think we can all agree that it lies at a crossroads where zen, the modern, nature and technology, Japanese flavors, and Japanese sound and silence meet. It is that crossroads that many foreigners seek to cross on their trip to the land of the rising sun. There are some Japanese experiences, though, that have little to do with Japanese culture. Yet, they are so unbelievable that they seem Japanese, something that could not or would not be possible in any other country. This private concert is one of them. I believe nowhere else in the world can anyone with 1000 yen rent out a whole amphitheater to listen to their own music. And few places in the world have an amphitheater with such an amazing view. It really is a must for those striving for that unique experience. This experience will create a smile that lasts a whole week, not only because the experience itself is so amazing, but also because you can truly feel that you have done something that almost no one else in the world has ever done and will probably never do.
The private concerts at Aspecta are available from 9am-5pm, with Wednesday being the only day Aspecta is closed. The phone number for making a reservation is 096-767-1161 (Only Japanese, though it is probably possible to get by using simple English). What you need to bring: 1) 1000 yen for every 30 minutes you stay and 2) a CD, iPhone/iPod, or mp3 player with your playlist. If there is an event going on at Aspecta, the private concerts are not available.
