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158 Asia

Table 10.2 Major volcanoes in Hokkaido

Volcano Type Location on Hokkaido Last known eruption
Oshima-Oshima Stratovolcano Japan Sea Island 1790
E-san Stratovolcano Oshima Peninsula 1874
Komaga-Take Stratovolcano Oshima Peninsula 2000

Nigorigawa Hydrothermal Field Uchiura Bay Pleistocene
Usu Stratovolcano Muroran* 2001
Niseko Stratovolcanoes Niseko City 4900BCE
Yotei Stratovolcano Oshima Peninsula 1050BCE

Kuttara Stratovolcanoes Toya* 1820
Shikotsu Caldera Nthn Island 1981
Rishiri Stratovolcano Nthn Japan Alps 5830BCE
Tokachi Stratovolcanoes Central Hokkaido 2004

Daisetsu Stratovolcanoes Daisetsu* 1739
Nipesotsu-Maruyama Stratovolcanoes Nukabira Lake 1898
Shikaribetsu Group Lava domes Shikaribetsu Unknown
Akan Caldera Lake Akan* 2008

Kutcharo Caldera NE Hokkaido 1320
Mashu Caldera Lake Mashu* 970CE
Rausu Stratovolcano Shiretoko Peninsula 1800
Shiretoko-Iwi-Zan Stratovolcano Shiretoko Peninsula 1936

Note: * Major tourist attraction with resort, ropeway.
Source: Siebert and Simkin, 2002

repeat within the same centre, and these comprise decompression melting and slab dehydration.
most of the Eastern Japan Volcanic Belt and the Monogenetic volcanoes are generally associated
major part of the Western Japan Volcanic Belt from with alkali basalt extrusion, a product of deeper
north-east Kyushu to the Tokara Islands. The other melting where magma generation is controlled by
type is monogenetic, formed by a single eruptive up-welling and decompression of mantle material
episode, and these are mainly located in south- and not directly related to the subducting slab
west Honshu to north-west Kyushu. These two (NUMO, 2009).
types, polygenetic and monogenetic, have different Located on the boundary of the eastern belt is
tectonic origins in terms of their relationship to Mt Fuji, Japan’s highest and most noted volcano
subduction and melting processes (NUMO, 2009). and also its most frequented tourist attraction. This
Polygenetic volcanoes are predominantly andesitic, modern postglacial stratovolcano is constructed
associated with magma generation in the mantle above a group of overlapping earlier volcanoes,
wedge above the descending oceanic plate at remnants of which form irregularities on Fuji’s
depths of around 100km, controlled by profile. Growth of the younger Mt Fuji began

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