Hachimantai Volcano

Updated: Aug 27, 2025 08:39 GMT - refresh

stratovolcano

Honshu (Japan), 39.96°N / 140.86°E

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Summit height: 1614 m / 5,295 ft

Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)

Hachimantai (Hatimantai) volcano is a complex stratovolcano in northern Honshu, Japan, located at the front of the northern Honshu volcanic arc. It belongs to the Towada-Hachimantai National Park.
Hachimantai was originally the name of a small peak (1614m) in the northern Sengan area, but is now commonly used as the name for the entire volcanic group, which contains several cones and craters in a widely scattered area.
Its summit is a vast undulated plateau containing circular craters near Komono-more and Mokko-dake in the center.
There are no historical eruptions from the volcanic group and the last activity is probably more than 7000 years ago, but there are still major major gas emissions around the Fukenoyu cone and active solfataras are found on the western and southern flanks.

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News/Updates | Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: explosive
Hachimantai volcano eruptions: none in historic times
5350 BC (?), 7900 BC ± 150 years (radiocarbon dated)

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Aug 25, 03:21 pm (GMT +9)	1.2 7.5 km	28 km (17 mi) to the W	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Sunday, August 24, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Aug 24, 11:01 pm (GMT +9)	0.3 3.4 km	22 km (14 mi) to the W	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Saturday, August 23, 2025 GMT (3 quakes)
Aug 24, 03:30 am (GMT +9)	0.3 2.1 km	22 km (14 mi) to the W	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Aug 23, 04:19 pm (GMT +9)	0.8 10 km	29 km (18 mi) to the NW	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Aug 23, 09:30 am (GMT +9)	0.5 8.5 km	29 km (18 mi) to the NW	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Friday, August 22, 2025 GMT (4 quakes)
Aug 23, 07:15 am (GMT +9)	0.7 9.9 km	28 km (17 mi) to the NW	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Aug 23, 07:13 am (GMT +9)	0.6 6.6 km	28 km (18 mi) to the W	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Aug 23, 04:23 am (GMT +9)	1.1 8.5 km	29 km (18 mi) to the NW	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info
Aug 23, 04:16 am (GMT +9)	1.0 8.1 km	29 km (18 mi) to the NW	Japan: Northern Akita Pref	Info

View recent quakes

Background

Hachimantai was built from from widely scattered vents during the Pleistocene and is capped with andesitic lavas from vents in the center of the complex.
The Hachimantai volcanic group comprises the Chausudake-Maemoriyama, Ofukadake-Magarizakiyama and the Hachimantai-Morobidake group, which itself consists of several vents and volcanic edifices: 2 major andesitic cones of Hachimantai and Chausu-dake, and 2 major basaltic cones, Fukenoyu and Morobi-dake, as well as several minor dacitic, andesitic, and basaltic cones including Komono-morem, Mokko-dake, Ebisumori, Daikokumori, Yanomune-dake, Appi-dake.

Geology:
Hachimantai is similar to the Iwate volcanic field in vent alignment and rock type, including high magnesium andesites, likely produced by 2-stage magma mixing. Both contain sub-parallel W-E trending volcanic chains at a spacing of about 12 km. In both volcanic chains, andesite cones are situated at the western end, and basalt to basaltic andesite magmas are erupted in the middle and eastern chains.
Volcanic activity at Hachimantai occurred in at least 3 major periods:
1) 0,7-1 million years ago (mainly andesites),
2) 300-400,000 years ago (basalt, high-magnesian andesite, andesite and dacite magmas).
3) 100-200,000 years ago (basalt magmas).

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Sources
- Smithsonian / GVP volcano information
- Quaternary Volcanoes of Japan. Geol Surv Japan, AIST
- Ohba et al (2007) "High-Magnesian Andesite Produced by Two-Stage Magma Mixing: a Case Study from Hachimantai, Northern Honshu, Japan", J. Petrology, v. 48(3), pp 627-645

Significant volcanic eruptions: Hachimantai volcano

No historic eruptions are known from Hachimantai volcano, but evidence from at least 2 eruptions during the past 10,000 years can be found in the geological record.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Hachimantai volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Hachimantai can be found on the news page of Hachimantai volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths	Damage
5350 ? BC		?
7900 ±150 y. BC		?

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Hachimantai Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Hachimantai volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Hachimantai occurred in 5350 BC.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Hachimantai Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).