National Oct 21, 2021
The eruption from Mount Aso's No. 1 Nakadake crater sent a column of ash about 3,500 meters into the air.
National Oct 20, 2021
Mount Aso in southwestern Japan erupts, forcing climbers to evacuate
The volcano erupted Wednesday, spewing a giant column of ash thousands of meters into the sky as hikers rushed away from the popular tourist spot.
National Jan 17, 2020
Shikoku Electric again ordered to halt Ikata nuclear reactor over volcano risk
The court said the utility’s preparations for eruptions that could endanger the plant were inadequate despite claims it would have plenty of advance warning.
National Jun 17, 2019
NRA safety license for Sendai reactors legal, Fukuoka court finds, dismissing volcano risk lawsuit
The district court says it found nothing illegal with a safety clearance granted to two reactors in Kyushu that were restarted after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.
National May 3, 2019
Mount Aso belches smoke over Kyushu in first eruption since mid-April
A small eruption on Mount Aso shot smoke as high as 1,600 meters over Kyushu on Friday, the Meteorological Agency said. The eruption in Kumamoto Prefecture was the first since the small eruptions on April 16 and April 19. There were no immediate reports of ...
National Apr 17, 2019
Small volcanic eruption observed on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture
After a small eruption was observed Tuesday evening on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture the weather agency said Wednesday morning no new eruptions had been confirmed, although the volcanic plume could still seen. While there were no immediate reports of injuries from the Tuesday eruption, ...
Travel Aug 10, 2018
Taking the path once trodden by Ian Fleming and James Bond
by Damian Flanagan
In 1962, Ian Fleming, the author of James Bond, visited Japan. His journey here, and the characters he met, would go on to inspire 007's adventures in "You Only Live Twice." But in 2018, how possible is it to retrace the author's footsteps across ...
National Feb 28, 2018
Mount Aso's crater area reopened to tourists after volcanic activity calms
Local authorities reopened a crater area of Mount Aso on Wednesday to tourists for the first time in over three years following diminished volcanic activity and the installation of safety measures. The crater on the 1,592-meter active volcano had been one of the most popular ...
National Dec 21, 2016
The Meteorological Agency has lowered its alert level for Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, citing diminished volcanic activity following its explosive eruption in October. With no major eruptions observed since then, the Meteorological Agency on Tuesday lowered the alert level for the 1,592-meter peak from ...
National Oct 9, 2016
After quakes, Kumamoto tourism industry takes another hit with eruption of Mount Aso
Still reeling from a series of earthquakes beginning in April, Kumamoto Prefecture is once again experiencing nature's fury, this time in the form of Mount Aso's eruption Saturday. Besides being on high alert for another volcanic eruption, Kumamoto residents are growing increasingly concerned about the ...
National Apr 16, 2016
A small eruption occurred at Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture on Saturday around 8:30 a.m. local time following a strong earthquake in the area, with smoke rising about 100 meters (300 feet) high, public broadcaster NHK reported. The Japanese Meteorological Agency kept its alert level ...
National Dec 7, 2015
A small-scale eruption hit Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture on Monday, the first since Oct. 23, the Meteorological Agency said. The eruption spewed smoke about 700 meters above the No. 1 crater of Mount Nakadake, one of the five peaks that constitute Mount Aso, the ...