Japan's Volcanic Record: 1,500+ Eruptions Since 600 CE

Japan has experienced over 1,500 recorded volcanic eruptions since the year 600 CE, documented in historical chronicles and modern instrumental records.

The country sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the Okhotsk, Philippine Sea, and Eurasian plates. This tectonic setting gives Japan:

• ~111 active volcanoes (defined as having erupted in the last 10,000 years)
• ~75% of the world's volcanoes within the Ring of Fire
• ~90% of the world's earthquakes

Notable Recent Eruptions

• Mount Ontake (2014) – Phreatic eruption killed 63 hikers.
• Mount Aso (2016, 2021) – Explosive activity, ashfall.
• Sakurajima (ongoing) – Near-daily explosions from Showa crater; Kagoshima city lives with constant ash.
• Nishinoshima (2013–present) – New island formation and growth via sustained effusive eruption.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) maintains real-time monitoring and alert levels (1–5) for all active volcanoes.