Miyake Island, which was fully evacuated in September due to the volcanic activity of Mount Oyama, may not be safe enough to return to for another three months to a year, a leading expert said Sunday.
Yoshiaki Ida, head of the government's Coordinating Committee for the Prediction of Volcanic Eruptions, made the comments "as a personal opinion" in speaking at a gathering held to encourage the Miyake islanders, who have entered their third month of evacuation, in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
"If we take an optimistic viewpoint," he said, three months to a year may be sufficient to determine that the volcanic activity on the island has subsided enough to ensure the safety of residents, Ida said.