The tourist association of Hakone, a popular hot springs area southwest of Tokyo, on Friday began stepping up efforts to inform foreign tourists that only a limited area is subject to a recent volcanic alert.
The Hakone Tourist Association the same day placed at Hakone-Yumoto Station and a nearby tourist information center an English-language area map clarifying the designated no-go zone, and a notice explaining inns, restaurants and other services outside the zone are operating as usual.
The alert level was raised last Wednesday by a notch to level 2 amid fears of a small eruption, and the area within a 300-meter radius of the Owakudani volcano vent was declared off-limits.