is an active
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...
in the
Shikotsu-Toya National Park,
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. It has erupted four times since 1900: in 1910 (which created Meiji-shinzan
[ 神沼克伊,小山悦郎 ''日本の火山を科学する 日本列島津々浦々、あなたの身近にある108の活火山とは？'' ソフトバンククリエイティブ 2011. .]), 1944–45 (which created
Shōwa-shinzan
is a volcanic lava dome in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaido, Japan, next to Mount Usu. The mountain was created between 28 December 1943 and September 1945.神沼克伊,小山悦郎 ''日本の火山を科学する 日本列島津 ...
), August 7, 1977, and on March 31, 2001. To the north lies
Lake Tōya
is a volcanic caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Abuta District, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is part of "Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Global Geopark" which joins in Global Geoparks Network. The stratovolcano of Mount Usu lies on the souther ...
. Mount Usu formed on the southern rim of the
caldera
A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...
containing the lake.
Mount Usu and Shōwa-shinzan are major tourist attractions in the
Shikotsu-Toya National Park. A ropeway on Mount Usu takes visitors to viewing platforms overlooking Shōwa-shinzan. The 1977 eruption is mentioned in passing in
Alan Booth
Alan Booth (5 December 194624 January 1993)
(''The Independent'', 5 February 1993)
's travelogue,
The Roads to Sata
''The Roads to Sata'', written in 1985 by Alan Booth, tells the story of his journey in 1977, on foot, from Cape Sōya in Hokkaidō, the northernmost point of Japan, to Sata
SATA (Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that conne ...
. The 2008
G8 Summit
The Group of Eight (G8) was an inter-governmental political forum from 1997 until 2014. It had formed from incorporating Russia into the Group of Seven, or G7, and returned to its previous name after Russia left in 2014.
The forum originated ...
was held near Mount Usu at Lake Tōya.
Japan's Selects Hokkaido for 2008 Summit
last access 28 May 2008
See also
* List of volcanoes in Japan
This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Japan. An Orange background indicates a volcano considered active by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Hokkaido
Honshū
Izu Islands
Ogasawara Archipelago
The Ogasawara Archipelag ...
* Usuzan Ropeway
The is Japanese aerial lift line in Sōbetsu, Hokkaidō, operated by . Opened in 1965, the line climbs Mount Usu, the active volcano in Shikotsu-Tōya National Park. The observatory has a view of Lake Tōya, Shōwa Shinzan, and the central crate ...
* List of mountains in Japan
The following is a list of the mountains and hills of Japan, ordered by height.
Mountains over 1000 meters
Mountains under 1000 meters
As the generally accepted definition of a mountain (versus a hill) is 1000 m of height and 500 m of prom ...
References
External links
Usuzan
Japan Meteorological Agency
The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...
*
Usu Volcano
Geological Survey of Japan
*
Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark
Usu
Usu
Shikotsu-Tōya National Park
Usu
Usu
Usu
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