Page 178 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

10

Volcano and Geothermal

Tourism in Japan – Examples

from Honshu and Hokkaido

Malcolm Cooper Suwanosejima volcanoes, in recognition that even
those volcanoes in Japan that have not shown signs
Introduction of activity in the recent past are merely dormant

Hokkaido is the most northerly of Japan’s main and local communities and their visitors require
protection should a major event occur.
islands and is the country’s wild frontier, a volcanic The Global Volcanism Program database built
tourism destination that contains the newly listed by the Smithsonian Institute for Honshu, Kyushu
world heritage Shiretoko Peninsula (complete and Hokkaido confirms that there are currently
with thermal waterfalls), many hot springs and 46 volcanoes with thermal activity on Honshu
active volcanoes, and a developing domestic and (Siebert and Simkin, 2002). This chapter
international geotourism. As a whole, there are documents the impact of these volcanoes on the
108 active volcanoes in Japan, and Hokkaido is pattern and nature of volcanic tourism on both
host to 19 of these. The Japan Meteorological islands while Chapter 9 looks at Kyushu, home to
Agency (JMA) defines active volcanoes as those decade volcanoes Unzen and Sakurajima. In
that have erupted in the past 10,000 years or doing so, it examines volcano tourism’s main
currently have fumarolic activity, and is characteristics, and looks closely at the way in
continuously monitoring the activities of 20 of which the inherent risks of this active volcanic
these using seismic and visual observations. These environment for tourists are dealt with by hosts
more active volcanoes are listed in Tables 10.1 and and visitors. The chapter makes an important
10.2 below, and include Meakandake, Tokachidake, practical contribution to the debate on risk
Tarumae, Usu, Hokkaido-Komagatake, Azuma, management in extreme environments through
Adatara, Bandai, Nasu, Kusatsu-Shirame, Asama, its analysis of geotourism on Honshu and
Ontake, Izu-Tobu, Izu-Oshima, Miyakejima, Kuju, Hokkaido.
Aso, Unzen, Kirishima and Sakurajima. The other
volcanoes are surveyed regularly but not
continuously by the JMA. If some abnormal Geological background
phenomena are detected, temporal observation There are around 1300 active volcanoes in the
stations are installed and the data are continuously world at the present time, and the Japanese
monitored by the JMA. Temporal observation is archipelago has nearly 10 per cent of them.
also carried out at Iwatesan, Akita-Komagadake, Volcanic and other mountainous areas in Japan
Fuji, Satsuma-Iwojima, Kuchinoerabujima and make up around 67 per cent of the country. The

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