Six months after the evacuation order was lifted for residents of Miyake Island, life remains fraught with challenges ranging from frequent toxic gas warnings to mountains of unprocessed garbage.
The Miyake village office estimates that roughly 2,000 people have resettled on the island some 180 km south of Tokyo since the official evacuation order, in place since they were forced to move out due to volcanic eruptions of Mount Oyama in September 2000, was lifted Feb. 1.
Living in some parts of the island is still prohibited due to high density of sulfur dioxide, and volcanic gas warnings have been issued seven times over the past six months in areas where islanders have resettled.