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Volcano and Geothermal Tourism in Kyushu, Japan 151

and subsequently collapsed, resulting in thousands The same busloads with the same tourists also
of pyroclastic flows (9432 according to a sign at go to other disaster sites like the primary school
the buried village in Shimabara). These pyroclastic that was severely damaged by a pyroclastic flow
flows caused 43 fatalities and damaged populated and was subsequently turned into a tourist
areas near Shimabara City (Global Volcanism attraction with Mt Unzen looming in the
Program, 2009), creating large disaster zones in the background. Next to the destroyed school a
city of Shimabara. volcano observatory was built which also includes
However, some of the disaster zones were later a commemorative information centre, a museum
developed into major tourist attractions. The and a volcano viewing platform for visitors.
‘Buried Village’, for example, is part of a suburb of Another sightseeing location popular for viewing
Shimabara and is a constant reminder of the Mt Unzen is from a lookout at Nita Pass, again
dangers of living close to active volcanoes. This frequented by busloads of visitors who can’t get
area was located in the flow path of the lahars close enough to an active volcano, especially one
which followed the pyroclastic flows; monsoonal with a bad reputation. To see the most chilling
rains caused large mudflows destroying over 2500 evidence of the Unzen eruptions, the Disaster
houses. Every day busloads of tourists start arriving Memorial Hall in Shimabara has many exhibits,
in the morning and keep coming throughout the including a camera found in the pyroclastic debris
day, bringing domestic and international visitors which (Figure 9.10) still had a few seconds of
to view the destruction caused and take the footage that could be saved, showing the pyroclastic
opportunity to talk to local residents about their cloud approaching the people waiting to take
ordeals during that time (Figures 9.8 and 9.9). photos and video documentaries. Forty-three

Figure 9.10 One of the cameras found after the eruption of Mt Unzen, containing a few seconds of footage before the
pyroclastic flow engulfed the 43 people that died on that day in their effort to report from close up to the action
Note: Watching these last moments is a sobering experience.

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