Members of the ruling coalition on Monday presented New Year's gifts of 5,000 yen to children evacuated earlier this year from Miyake Island in the wake of volcanic eruptions there, coalition officials said.

Some 2 million yen in "otoshidama," a traditional Japanese gift usually given to children during the New Year's holiday consisting of colorful envelopes containing cash, was delivered by secretaries general of the tripartite ruling bloc to Miyake Village Mayor Ko Hasegawa at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office.

Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Makoto Koga and his counterparts Takeshi Noda of the New Conservative Party and Tetsuzo Fuyushiba of the New Komeito party said they will do their best to bring about the early return of evacuees to their island, which lies about 200 kilometers south of the capital.

Officials said the money is intended for elementary, junior high and high school students who were evacuated from the island to the capital. k

About 400 child evacuees staying in the capital are expected to spend New Year's Eve in evacuation centers due to continued volcanic activity on Miyake Island.

A series of eruptions from the island's Mount Oyama in late June eventually led all 3,850 islanders to flee to the mainland.