Yamaguchi: Natural Air Conditioner Keeps Hikers Cool

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:30 JST, August 19, 2023

HAGI, Yamaguchi — As Japan continues to experience a brutal summer, hikers can enjoy the cool air that blows through gaps in the rocks on Mt. Kasayama in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The cool breeze can be felt at a spot called Kazaana, meaning wind hole, on the mountain, which is a small volcano with an elevation of 112 meters.

In the winter, cold air is sucked into the numerous cavities created by the outflow of lava. In the summer, air that is around 13 C blows out of the gaps.

The temperature around Kazaana is generally below 20 C, even during the day. Some hikers were seen getting close to the mossy rocks and fanning the cool air toward themselves to fight off the heat.