A small-scale eruption was observed Saturday on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture for the first time since May 21, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Smoke rose as high as 600 meters into the sky, but police said nobody was injured by the eruption, which happened at around 12:15 p.m.
The agency maintains its alert level at 2 on a scale of 5, advising against approaching the crater. The level was raised after a similar small-scale eruption last August, making the area within 1 km of the crater off-limits.
