Tokyo could be paralyzed by Mt Fuji eruption: gov't report

I would have thought this is an obvious scenario.

I guess it all depends on which way the wind blows at the time of eruption.

As the eruption occurs Tokyo will be doomed! Thousands of people will die directly through lung complications or starvation as everything will become inaccessible! Evacuation will not be 100% possible... feel sorry for Tokyo citizens but most other prefectures will also be affected as well. Hopefully this doesn’t happen during the Olympics as more people would cause more problems in terms of evacuation and food supply! Foreigners living in Japan and visitors should also seriously reconsider their choices in life!

It’s false pride thinking that earthquakes,typhoons and volcanic eruptions can somehow be managed by humans....

'A hypothetical eruption' wouldn't cause any problems at all. An eruption, on the other hand, certainly would.

Nothing wrong with have emergency and contingency plans, but it seems obvious to anyone that Volcano + populous city = Potential trouble.

Just ask the residents of Pompeii.

Tokyo could be paralyzed by Mt Fuji eruption: gov't report

Could be? I'm sure that is a given! Instead of wasting time and money researching the obvious, they should be researching what they are actually going to do about it. It was a similar thing in Tokyo after the big quake in 2011. After all the research, studies and drills the wheels fell off the infrastructure pretty quickly and easily. All the transport hubs shut down for 12 hours or more and the supermarkets were emptied within 24 hours. Their research of the obvious is great, but their contingency plans are pretty much non-existent!

If an inch of snow creates havoc in the capital, just imagine what ash would do. And let alone 23cm!?

Much of the black-red soil in Tokyo's parks and fields is said to be ash from previous eruptions of Mt Fuji. How can a repeat, at a distance of 100 km, be discussed as a real possibility, when Kyushu's Sendai nuclear power plant, only 50 km from Mt Sakurajima and the huge caldera there, is considered to be safe? Surely they are both equally likely (or unlikely) to occur?

After the Kobe earthquake, there were people living in tents in public parks for many lmonths!

Where are the millions of people fleeing a natural disaster going to go?

How are they going to be fed?

Where will they sleep?

An earthquake is more likely than a volcanic eruption yet nobody has answered these daunting questions.....

You DON'T say:

A hypothetical eruption of Mt Fuji, Japan's tallest peak, could rain volcanic ash on Tokyo...

Tremendous insight there..!

The report will become the basis for drawing up a contingency plan for such a scenario, which may include evacuating residents and...

How on Earth are you going to evacuate Tokyo? Maybe think ahead a little and stop building things where natural disasters will happen. It's all over Japan. The concept of city planning just never took on here. The example above is also another reason that shows how Japan is over populated.

As a wise old friend once said to me, "There's no gettin' outa this life alive." Mother Nature has been giving the Japanese a wild ride, but they've managed to survive so far.

Well, that's not saying much. Tokyo is crippled by 1cm of snow

Mt Fuji caldera isn't growing so I don't see why anyone would suspect an eruption. Slow news day?

If you live in Tokyo and you are scared about this happening, I would urge you to remember the other 100 or so things that are FAR MORE LIKELY TO KILL YOU than this possibility.

Mt Fuji caldera isn't growing so I don't see why anyone would suspect an eruption.

Following 2011's shenanigans, the current pressure inside Fuji is higher than when it last erupted in 1707. In that eruption, over a billion tons of ash & rock were thrown out, some of it reached Tokyo. It may go off tomorrow, or not for another century.

Invest in broomsticks and dustpans

At least I'll abe can't run away because the shinkensen and airports will be closed and I don't think he can ride a bicycle

Reading this, and the article earlier about how all of Japan, except for Tokyo will suffer mass population decreases is just another reason for the government to think about moving the capital out of Tokyo. Pick another city, that is on a fault, or near a volcano, or near a nuclear reactor, and build there. Or even better, start to farm out different agencies to different areas of the country. With high speed rail, and internet, there is no reason many of these jobs cannot be done in far flung places.

Pick another city that is not on a fault!

I agree many government departments can be moved out of Tokyo, they work should be shared around the country anyway, it's stupid to put all your eggs in one basket. Also plans should be in place for other areas in Japan to immediately take responsibilty for various government departments in case of a disaster.

All this nonsense about evacuating Tokyo is a sick joke. How can you move millions of people in a short time? Where to? What about shelter, food and medical care for them? Look at any mass movment of people around the world, be it due to natural disaster or war, and you can see it's an impossible task.

How can you move millions of people in a short time? 

They do it about 3 times a year. It will be like a massive Golden Week, but without the Tomei & Chuo routes. Every road & train east of Fuji will be rammed. The hoteliers of Gunma & Chiba will make a killing!

@mark. Because of japans unique geography, the best option is to have two capitals, tokyo and osaka.

probably a good idea to order a case of mineral water and some preserved food...it has been awfully quiet lately... and thats typically not a good sign

"BBBLADOOOOMMMMM..............................."

"Hey, what was that?"

The anthill sprang to life. 

(to be cont.)

probably a good idea to order a case of mineral water and some preserved food...it has been awfully quiet lately... and thats typically not a good sign

Not going to help when you are suffocating trying to breathe hot, toxic, ash laden air.

Well, the experts say Mt Fuji is overdue for an eruption. Tokyo had better have emergency plans in place. Let's hope Mt Fuji doesn't erupt just before or during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

I guess Mt Fuji has as much chance of erupting as I have of Winning the Lottery

Luddite, I dont live in the Fuji Caldera.. so no reason for me to suffocate from hot toxic air...

Its easy enough to don a mask, which I do have cause i work with toxic substances, and make sure vents are closed... i do have a box of vodka too if worst happens

I do not know the chances accurately for a Mt Fuji eruption, but for an earthquake: the scientists were quoted as saying it would not be out-of-the-ordinary (FUSHIGI DE WA NAI) for a major earthquake to occur at any given time. Moving the Capital WAS considered some years ago by committees and the result was there was found no suitable--really safer--city. There ARE back-up data storage places, very sophisticated we suppose. The research and planning, altho' these take time, DO HELP. We DID DO better in Kanto during the last earthquake/tsunami disaster because of updating after the "Great HAN-SHIN ...earthquake disaster"; and since then, even better plans have been made, based on researching the errors made. For example, people now know NOT to drive on the designated highways, where spouses, et al., eager to "save" their own, blocked deliveries of emergency supplies to shelters by merely trying to go pick up their loved ones [essential roads turned into parking lots]. Others take walking shoes to work regularly, having once found how miserable high heels are for a long night's walk home. Such a disturbing but for only a few fatal earthquake would not be out-of-the-ordinary; and one CAN take candy in one's bag, and so forth, as precautions. So for an eruption, imagination and implementation of conclusions CAN help us!! STUDY for example the difference between the losses at Hiroshima's A-bomb and those at Nagasaki, where people had heard rumors of what not to do and what can be done afterwards. The difference was considerable!!