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Mt Aso in Kyushu erupts, sending smoke 2 kms high

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Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornado, typhoon, flooding, mudslide, volcanic eruption, nuclear meltdown, corrupt government. Japan has it all.

Japan lies on the “Ring of Fire” - a horseshoe-shaped band of fault lines and volcanoes around the edges of the Pacific Ocean - and is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.

But hey, lets build nuclear reactors here, perfectly safe.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

This is why both Mt. Aso and Sakurajima are very closely monitored--both are among the most active volcanoes in Japan. And the concern about another huge eruption like what happened at Sakurajima in 1914 is keeping all the volcanic scientists busy.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

peoples say if there is one place that you can either make it or fail it's NY, but these folks never lived in Japan and I don't care where in Japan one lives, after experience and living through high costs, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, explosions, radiation meltdowns, Japans share of crimes as they do happen, the claims of racism, which happens worldwide, same goes for political corruption, after all that, hell NY has nothing, and I still choose to live in Japan. It might not be perfect, and I may complain like many locals but in the end it is home and not a bad place..At the least on e can't say they Japan is boring and it sure makes good for future story telling.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Mount Aso has been active and off limits for quite some time. It's closely monitored and the activity is nothing new for the locals in the area.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Japan seems to have been bombarded with one disaster after another!

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Happens occasionally, but the black smoke has since turned white and considerably reduced in volume. Probably provided a huge amount of ash to gum up the works the next time we have heavy rain, though.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Mt Aso has already been on "highly active" status for over a year now. Expect that to continue

2 ( +2 / -0 )

so much for all the scientific communities monitoring expertise

I'm pretty sure nobody in the "scientific communities" has ever claimed that their monitoring expertise enabled them to predict steam eruptions, and that in fact they say openly they are not able to. The monitoring is for magma eruptions. Unfortunately this article does not provide the information on the type of eruption. But at least we can all feel safer knowing the nuclear plant survived volcanic ash falling 156 km. away

2 ( +3 / -1 )

bigfujiyama, there are many factors to show most natural disasters, but they can't predict, thats the power of nature over man. as for " It is very easy to dismiss something of which you have no knowledge" the only knowledge I gain, is from reading articles and watching numerous videos pertaining to world wide disasters,and political and social events, and thats how i gain my knowledge, i do this just to keep ignorance at bay and delay Alzheimer's for a few more years.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@toshiko - Again, we clash. I know very well the kanji of which you speak. I am also correct. During my time in Kumamoto, I served as an aide to a member of the Kumamoto International Convention Association. Every summer in Kumamoto there are three grand fire festivals. One in is mid-August at Omiya Shrine. This is the "Hi no Kuni" of which I speak. The kanji used are literally, "Land of Fire". I still have in my possession several mementos of my time in Kumamoto and photos of some of my friends and other people I meant during this period. (One of who later became a prime minister of Japan, and one who became Governor of Kumamoto.) We did a little "odori" (dance) while chanting "Higo wa doko sa, Kumamoto sa !" That used the kanji you mentioned. I lived in Japan for more than twenty years, and have a very keen interest in Japanese culture and traditions. But because I stayed so long there, does not in any way mean that I know it all ! One of the great things about Japan was that even after that long, I still learned something new almost every day ! Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

so much for all the scientific communities monitoring expertise

It is thanks to the scientific community that there were no people at the crater when it erupted. Mt. Aso has had restricted access to the crater area for a while. They can't predict exactly when an eruption will occur, but there are many factors that show the possibility of one.

It is very easy to dismiss something of which you have no knowledge.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornado, typhoon, flooding, mudslide, volcanic eruption,... Japan has it all."

Yes, geology and weather. Forgot forest fires and blizzards. Every place on the planet has a different set of risks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Mt Aso in Kyushu erupts...

Is that so...?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@kurobune, I am from KumamotoKen, My parents were sent to study in England, and married after they came back to Japan and we had to study OgasawaraRyu Etiquettes Guides just like other Kumamoto Ken girls. Hizen and Higo we separated Ken,€ Actually, Hyuga (facing SunI and there are two places claim Amaterasu came down from sky. TakaChiHo noMine. Both of my parents were from Higo side.

Aso erupt periodically. There are many volcanos in Kyushu.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Tourists all evacuated according to another source. I hope this is a minor one.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Jesus could it get any worse?? Floods, volcanic eruption, anything else????

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Mt. Aso is one of the reasons Kumamoto is sometimes known as "Hi no Kuni" (Land of Fire) Kumamoto has got to be my favorite place in Japan !

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I hope all got out safely!

Glad that I had a chance to get up to the top and have a look into the beast last summer but we still got chased out by a gas cloud. You really feel that these volcanoes could go off at any moment when you're there. Constant doki doki moments!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I bet all those Chinese tourists got a little more action than expected. Must have gotten some good pictures though.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Aso...what a fitting name for a mountain that spews out crap.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Now flooding news seem to give way to Mt Aso eruption breaking news. Japan has plenty of stories to tell about disasters each and every day. But still, Japanese people seem to thrive on such adversity. Hope Mt Aso gets back to its normal state in due course.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow! Japan just can't catch a break. Successive typhoons that caused massive flooding and loss of life, an earthquake, and now this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm worried about my in-laws ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Sparkly: In our local news in USA, the announcer said "No casuality".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@KurobuneSEP. 14, 2015 - 12:14PM JST Mt. Aso is one of the reasons Kumamoto is sometimes known as "Hi no Kuni" (Land of Fire) Kumamoto has got to be my favorite place in Japan !

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This Hi is not Fire. It use a kanji that is koyasu, The Kumamoto is known for land with plenty of africulture cultivating, thus Hi no Kuni. Also known for the people have many children, So, during WW II, Japan has slogan Umeyo Fuyaseyo using this kanji Hi. Not fire, Also, a lord Hosokawa's assistant (Karou) invented first Chemical fertelizer He sold to Nicchitsu later -patent) and so Japanese made a word HiRyo using Hi of Kumamoto Not fire.Hiryou means souce of plentiful agriculture.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Looks like a volcano season, first Mexico and now Japan. It looks like something is happening inside Earth.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"They said the eruption had come without warning." so much for all the scientific communities monitoring expertise . The point I'm making is that nature is not aware of all the world wide professional bodies that do all these scientific monitoring programs. Nature is totally unpredictable, it doesn't have schedule, Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, dust storms,whirlwinds, tornadoes the list is endless, they just occur, thats why nature is so beautiful and terrifying and needs our respect.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

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