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Volcanoes of Hokkaido (52)

Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan's 4 main islands. Tectonically, it was formed by the collision of the Kuril Volcanic Arc with the Northeast Japan Volcanic Arc at the central part of Hokkaido about during the Middle Miocene (ca. 12 million years ago).

The volcanoes of Hokkaido belong accordingly to 3 different provinces:
1 the eastern region in the Northeast Japan Arc,
2 the central region in the arc-arc collision zone,
3 the western region representing the SW end of the Kuril Arc.

The chain of volcanoes ("volcanic front") parallel to the Japan and Kuril trenches runs E-W from the eastern region through the central region and then turns to N-S in the western region.

Source and further information: Introduction to the Landforms and Geology of Japan (GLGArcs)

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Significant volcanic eruptions: Hokkaido

In historic times, at least 9 volcanoes have been active in Hokkaido, including Akan, Tokachi, and Komaga-take volcanoes. A total of 107 eruptions have been witnessed and documented since around 1626 AD.
The table below lists the most recent volcanic eruptions, significant eruptive episodes or related events in Hokkaido since 1900.
DateVolcanoVEIRegionDeathsDamage
2008 Nov 18 - Nov 28Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
2006 Mar 21Akan
NE flank of Me-Akan
1Hokkaido (Japan)
2004 Feb 25 - Apr 19Tokachi
1962-II Crater
1?Hokkaido (Japan)
2000 Mar 31 - 2001 Sep 15 ±5 d.Usu
Usu N flank (Kompira-yama & W Nishi-yama)
2Hokkaido (Japan)
2000 Sep 4 - Nov 8Komaga-take1Hokkaido (Japan)
1998 Nov 9Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1998 Oct 25Komaga-take
1996 crater
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1996 Nov 21Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri crater no. 4)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1996 Mar 5 - Mar 12 ?Komaga-take
1929 crater and summit crater fissure
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1988 Dec 10 ? - 1989 May 16 ±15 d.Tokachi
1962 Crater
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1988 Jan 5 - Feb 18 ?Akan
Me-Akan (SE rim of Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1985 Jun 19 - Jun 22Tokachi
East wall of 1962 crater
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1984 May 1Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1977 Aug 7 - 1982 Mar 16 ±15 d.Usu
Usu-Shinzan
3Hokkaido (Japan)
1981 Feb 27Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1978 Dec 12 - 1979 May 11Shikotsu
Tarumai (SE foot of summit dome)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1978 Oct 24
(eruption 1977 Aug 7 - 1982 Mar 16 ±15 d.)
Usu3Hokkaido (Japan)3
Info
1978 May 14 - May 17Shikotsu
Tarumai (SE foot of summit dome)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1977 Aug 7
(eruption 1977 Aug 7 - 1982 Mar 16 ±15 d.)
Usu3Hokkaido (Japan)3
Info
1966 Jun 15 ±5 d.Akan
Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1965 May 15 ±5 d.Akan
Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1964 Jun 18 - Jul 4 ?Akan
Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1962 Jun 29 - Sep 16 ±15 d.Tokachi
South of Shin-funkako
3Hokkaido (Japan)
1962 Jun 29
(eruption 1962 Jun 29 - Sep 16 ±15 d.)
Tokachi3Hokkaido (Japan)5
Info
1962 Apr 28Akan
Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1961 Aug 14Tokachi
NW of Kami-Horokamettoku-yama
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1960 Sep 16 ±15 d.Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1959 Aug 15 ±5 d. - Nov 25Tokachi
NE of Shin-funkako (Showa Crater)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1959 May 15 ±5 d. - Oct 16 ±15 d.Akan
Me-Akan (Naka- and Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1958 Oct 4Tokachi
NE of Shin-funkako (Showa Crater)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1958 Feb 23Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1957 Feb 26 - Sep 5Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1956 Mar 18 - Oct 31Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1956 Jun 16 ±15 d.Tokachi
NE of Shin-funkako (Showa Crater)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1955 Nov 19Akan
Me-Akan (Ponmachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1954 Nov 19 - 1955 Feb 14Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1954 Sep 16 ±15 d.Tokachi
NE of Shin-funkako (Showa Crater)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1954 May 2Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1954 Jan 7 ? - Apr 13Akan
Me-Akan (Nakamachineshiri)
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1953 Sep 14 ?Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1952 Aug 17Tokachi
NE of Shin-funkako (Showa Crater)
?Hokkaido (Japan)
1951 Jul 28Shikotsu
Tarumai
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1951 Jan 29Shikotsu
Tarumai
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1944 Jun 23 - 1945 Sep 19Usu
Usu East flank (Showa-Shinzan)
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1944 Dec 28
(eruption 1944 Jun 23 - 1945 Sep 19)
Usu2Hokkaido (Japan)1
Info
1944 Aug 26
(eruption 1944 Jun 23 - 1945 Sep 19)
Usu2Hokkaido (Japan)1
light
Info
1944 Jul 11
(eruption 1944 Jun 23 - 1945 Sep 19)
Usu0Hokkaido (Japan)1
Info
1944 Jul 2Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1942 Nov 16 - Nov 18Komaga-take
NW-SE 1.6-km fissure
3Hokkaido (Japan)
1937 Mar 17 - Mar 19Komaga-take1Hokkaido (Japan)
1936 Nov 15 - Nov 26Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1935 Dec - 1936 OctShiretoko-Iozan
NW flank
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1936 Apr 19Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1933 Dec 1 - Dec 14Shikotsu
Tarumai (east-west summit fissure)
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1931 Oct 11 - Oct 24Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1931 May 16Tokachi1Hokkaido (Japan)
1929 Jun 17 - Sep 6Komaga-take
SE and NE of Ansei Crater
4Hokkaido (Japan)
1929 Jun 17
(eruption 1929 Jun 17 - Sep 6)
Komaga-take4Hokkaido (Japan)2
catastrophic
Info
1928 Sep 6 - 1929 Feb 10Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1928 Dec 4 - Dec 25Tokachi
Shin-funkako
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1928 Jan - May 23Tokachi
Shin-funkako
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1928 Mar 28Komaga-take1Hokkaido (Japan)
1928 Jan 7Shikotsu
Tarumai
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1925 Nov 20 - 1927 SepTokachi
Shin-funkako
3Hokkaido (Japan)
1926 Oct 19 - Oct 30Shikotsu
Tarumai
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1926 Sep 8
(eruption 1925 Nov 20 - 1927 Sep)
Tokachi3Hokkaido (Japan)
Info
1926 May 24
(eruption 1925 Nov 20 - 1927 Sep)
Tokachi3Hokkaido (Japan)144
catastrophic
Info
1924 Jul 31Komaga-take2Hokkaido (Japan)
1923 Feb - Aug 23Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1923 Feb 27 - Mar 15Komaga-take2Hokkaido (Japan)
1922 May 22Komaga-take2Hokkaido (Japan)
1921 Jul 6Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1920 Jul 17 - Jul 23Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1919 Jun 17 - Jul 26Komaga-take
SE of Ansei Crater
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1919 May 4Shikotsu
Tarumai
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1918 Jun 13 - Jul 31Shikotsu
Tarumai
1Hokkaido (Japan)
1917 Apr 30 - May 12Shikotsu
Tarumai (east-west summit fissure)
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1910 Jul 25 - NovUsu
Usu North flank (Meiji-Shinzan)
2Hokkaido (Japan)
1910 Jul 25
(eruption 1910 Jul 25 - Nov)
Usu2Hokkaido (Japan)1
Info
1909 Jan 11 - Apr 22Shikotsu
Tarumai
3Hokkaido (Japan)
1905 Aug 19 - Sep 1 ?Komaga-take
South of Ansei Crater
2Hokkaido (Japan)
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

Hokkaido FAQ

+When was the last volcanic eruption in Hokkaido?

+When was the first documented volcanic eruption in Hokkaido?

+How often do volcanoes in Hokkaido erupt?

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+When was the largest volcanic eruption in Hokkaido?

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Akan Volcano (Japan) activity update Nov 21, 2025 - Unrest

Saturday, Nov 22, 2025 | 11 days ago · VN
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that unrest continued at Akan between 15 November 2025 (local) and 21 November 2025 (local). The alert level remained at "Level 2 - Restriction on proxim…
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