6 months after Ontakesan eruption, heightened vigilance the key
Smoke billows from the crater of Mount Ontakesan on Sept. 27, 2014. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.
It is no exaggeration to say that an "era of cataclysms" has begun, according to volcanologist Hiroki Kamata in his recently published "Jishin to Kazan" (earthquakes and volcanoes). Kamata, who is also professor of earth science at Kyoto University, believes the Japanese archipelago has entered a seismically and volcanically active period following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.
True, there were undersea volcanic eruptions in 2013 near Nishinoshima in the Ogasawara island chain. The island has since been completely overrun by lava and is still growing in size. Also, last year, Mount Ontakesan, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, erupted and killed 57 people. Two months later, Mount Aso in Kyushu reawakened. It is as if ominous rumblings are being heard everywhere.
With March 27 marking six months since the Ontakesan eruption, memorial services were held in towns and villages at the foot of the mountain. Six people are still missing, but with heavy snow capping the mountain and the area around the summit crater itself remaining off-limits to climbers, the search for the missing will likely not resume until early summer.
The deadly eruption occurred around midday on a sunny weekend. It was at the height of the fall foliage season, and many hikers were enjoying the breathtaking views from or near the summit. The day could not have been better for hiking, which contributed to the heavy toll. Mother Nature can be very cruel, indeed.
At the time, the volcanic eruption warning level for Mount Ontakesan was "1," or "normal." But a working panel of the government's Central Disaster Management Council on March 26 recommended that the designation of "normal" be rephrased to "bear in mind that this is an active volcano." The panel says the purpose is to ensure that nobody is misled into thinking they are safe, as an active volcano may rumble to life at any time.
The Meteorological Agency will also start mass-e-mailing "eruption flash reports" to cellphone users. People who live in volcanic countries must never let their guard down, and be as prepared as possible.
--The Asahi Shimbun, March 28
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