Volcanic Vent at Owakudani Valley near Tokyo Erupts

Mt. Hakone erupts spewing ash and steam

A “minor volcanic eruption” has occurred at Mt Hakone near Tokyo starting Monday night through Tuesday, according to officials.

Fresh layers of volcanic ash were discovered Tuesday morning around a newly-formed vent in the Owakudani valley, which forms part of the Mount Hakone range (Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park) located in Kanagawa prefecture.

Volcanic tremors have been shaking the Hakone mountain since Monday morning, officials said, warning nearby residents that the volcano could eject sizable rocks to a radius of about one kilometer and smaller rocks even further.

The warning level on the Hakone was  raised to level 3 [“Do not approach the volcano,”] at 12:30 JST today [June 30,  2015.]

The volcano has been ejecting steam over the past few months.

Mt Hakone is located about 80 km SW of central Tokyo. More than 45 million people live within a 100-km radius of the volcano according to FIRE-EARTH Population Models.