Volcanoes by country

Japan

Volcanoes in Japan

Map, activity and eruption history

The Holocene catalogue of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 117 volcanoes in Japan. This page brings together the map, report status, eruption history and the surroundings of every single volcano. 1 of them currently have an eruption report or an elevated alert level.

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Earthquakes · Japan
With a current report
1 Eruption reported: 1
Volcanoes in the catalogue
117
Documented eruptions
562
Highest volcano
3,776 mFujisan
Last documented eruption
2026Aira

Map

Volcano map of Japan

Every volcano in the country with plate boundaries, air traffic within 50 km, airports and nuclear power plants. Earthquakes can be added on top.

Map layers

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Markers show the catalogue position of a volcano, not the extent of a hazard zone. Plate boundaries after Bird (2003), PB2002.

All volcanoes in Japan

Sorted by report status and elevation. Every entry opens the full volcano profile.

Volcano catalogue
  1. Aira Eruption reported
    Type
    Caldera
    Elevation
    1,117 m
    Last eruption
    2026
    Eruptions
    8

    Published: Sep 17, 2026, 5:20 AM UTC · Reporting period: Sep 10, 2026 – Sep 16, 2026 · GVP

  2. Fujisan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    3,776 m
    Last eruption
    1708
    Eruptions
    8
  3. Ontakesan No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic complex
    Elevation
    3,067 m
    Last eruption
    2014
    Eruptions
    5
  4. Norikuradake No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    3,026 m
    Last eruption
    50 BCE
    Eruptions
    3
  5. Hakusan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,702 m
    Last eruption
    1659
    Eruptions
    8
  6. Midagahara No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,621 m
    Last eruption
    1839
    Eruptions
    6
  7. Nikko-Shiranesan No current eruption report
    Type
    Shield volcano
    Elevation
    2,578 m
    Last eruption
    1952
    Eruptions
    8
  8. Asamayama No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic complex
    Elevation
    2,568 m
    Last eruption
    2019
    Eruptions
    8
  9. Nantaisan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,486 m
    Last eruption
    9540 BCE
    Eruptions
    1
  10. Yokodake No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,480 m
    Last eruption
    1200
    Eruptions
    2
  11. Yakedake No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,455 m
    Last eruption
    1995
    Eruptions
    8
  12. Myokosan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,454 m
    Last eruption
    750 BCE
    Eruptions
    8
  13. Niigata-Yakeyama No current eruption report
    Type
    Lava dome
    Elevation
    2,400 m
    Last eruption
    1998
    Eruptions
    8
  14. Hiuchigatake No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,356 m
    Last eruption
    1544
    Eruptions
    2
  15. Omanago Group No current eruption report
    Type
    Lava dome
    Elevation
    2,341 m
    Last eruption
    3050 BCE
    Eruptions
    1
  16. Taisetsuzan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,291 m
    Last eruption
    1739
    Eruptions
    5
  17. Chokaisan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,236 m
    Last eruption
    1974
    Eruptions
    8
  18. Kusatsu-Shiranesan No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,165 m
    Last eruption
    2018
    Eruptions
    8
  19. Akandanayama No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,109 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    —
  20. Tokachidake No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,077 m
    Last eruption
    2004
    Eruptions
    8

“Last eruption” is a catalogue record, not evidence of activity in progress.

Significant volcanic eruptions in Japan

Eruptions with fatalities, damage or high explosivity from the NOAA NCEI database of significant volcanic eruptions.

  1. 1792 Unzendake VEI 2 15,000 Deaths Damage: extreme (25 million USD or more) 6'200 houses destroyed Tsunami
  2. 1741 Oshima-Oshima VEI 4 2,000 Deaths Damage: severe (roughly 5–24 million USD) 871 houses destroyed Tsunami
  3. 1783 Asamayama VEI 4 1,491 Deaths
  4. 1598 Asamayama VEI 2 800 Deaths
  5. 1640 Hokkaido-Komagatake VEI 5 700 Deaths Damage: limited (below 1 million USD) 20 houses destroyed Tsunami
  6. 1947 Akagisan 699 Deaths
  7. 1888 Bandaisan VEI 4 461 Deaths Damage: moderate (roughly 1–5 million USD)
  8. 1410 Nasudake VEI 3 180 Deaths
  9. 1779 Aira VEI 4 153 Deaths
  10. 1926 Tokachidake VEI 3 144 Deaths 5'080 houses destroyed
  11. 1785 Aogashima VEI 3 135 Deaths
  12. 1902 Izu-Torishima VEI 3 125 Deaths
  13. 764 Aira VEI 4 80 Deaths
  14. 1900 Adatarayama VEI 2 72 Deaths
  15. 1914 Aira VEI 4 63 Deaths Damage: 19 million USD 2'268 houses destroyed Tsunami
  16. 2014 Ontakesan VEI 3 55 Deaths
  17. 1822 Toya VEI 4 50 Deaths
  18. 1991 Unzendake VEI 1 43 Deaths
  19. 1781 Aira VEI 4 38 Deaths Damage: limited (below 1 million USD) Tsunami
  20. 1952 Myojinsho VEI 2 31 Deaths Damage: limited (below 1 million USD) Tsunami
  21. 1664 Unzendake VEI 2 30 Deaths
  22. 1984 Ontakesan 29 Deaths
  23. 1856 Hokkaido-Komagatake VEI 4 25 Deaths
  24. 1900 Asamayama VEI 2 25 Deaths

Explosivity of the documented eruptions

VEI · 442

VEI 0
49
VEI 1
168
VEI 2
133
VEI 3
52
VEI 4
31
VEI 5
8
VEI 6
1

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) runs from 0 (effusive) to 8 (super-eruptive). Each step stands for roughly ten times the erupted mass.

Eruptions per century

1500–1599
12
1600–1699
20
1700–1799
29
1800–1899
58
1900–1999
172
2000–2099
102

Documented eruptions since 1500. Earlier centuries are recorded less completely, so a rise also reflects better observation.

Earthquakes near volcanoes – Japan

33 events in the last 30 days within 50 km of a volcano in Japan.

Earthquakes · Japan

Spatial proximity does not establish a volcanic origin. Many events in volcanic regions are tectonic.

Tectonic setting and volcano types

What the volcanic landscape of Japan is made of and which tectonic setting it sits in.

Tectonic setting

  • Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)68
  • Subduction zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)23
  • Subduction zone / Intermediate crust (15-25 km)12

Most common volcano types

  • Stratovolcano74
  • Caldera18
  • Volcanic complex8
  • Lava dome6
  • Shield volcano4

Infrastructure within 100 km

Airports with scheduled service and nuclear power plant sites near a volcano in Japan.

Airports 62

  • Fukue Airport1.8 km · FUJ
  • Hachijojima Airport3.1 km · HAC
  • Niijima Airport3.1 km
  • Miyakejima Airport3.9 km · MYE
  • Yuzhno-Kurilsk Mendeleyevo Airport4.3 km · DEE
  • Oshima Airport7.2 km · OIM
  • Rishiri Airport8.3 km · RIS
  • Iturup Airport9.5 km · ITU
  • Kagoshima Airport12.5 km · KOJ
  • Aomori Airport17.9 km · AOJ
  • Kumamoto Airport22.1 km · KMJ
  • New Chitose Airport27.1 km · CTS

Nuclear power plants 20

  • Higashidori (Tepco) nuclear power plant20.6 km · Out of operation
  • Tomari nuclear power plant21.6 km · Under construction · Out of operation
  • Higashidori (Tohoku) nuclear power plant24.8 km · Out of operation
  • Ohma nuclear power plant30.9 km · Under construction
  • Sendai nuclear power plant38.7 km · Operating at dataset date
  • Shimane nuclear power plant55.9 km · Under construction · Operating at dataset date · Permanently shut down
  • Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant70.8 km · Permanently shut down
  • Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant73.1 km · Under construction · Out of operation · Operating at dataset date
  • Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant75.4 km · Permanently shut down
  • Onagawa nuclear power plant76.1 km · Out of operation · Operating at dataset date · Permanently shut down
  • Fugen nuclear power plant81.0 km · Permanently shut down
  • Tsuruga nuclear power plant81.2 km · Out of operation · Permanently shut down

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts.

Volcanoes in profile – Japan

Short descriptions of the country's best-known volcanoes.

Aira

Caldera · 1,117 m · Last eruption: 2026

Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. It is the most active volcano in Japan.

Open profile Read on Wikipedia

Fujisan

Stratovolcano · 3,776 m · Last eruption: 1708

Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of 3,776.24 m. It is the highest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano on any Asian island, and the seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth. Mount Fuji last erupted from 1707 to 1708.

Open profile Read on Wikipedia

Ontakesan

Volcanic complex · 3,067 m · Last eruption: 2014

Mount Ontake , also referred to as Mount Kiso Ontake , is the 14th-highest mountain and second-highest volcano in Japan at 3,067 m (10,062 ft). It is included in Kyūya Fukada's 1964 book 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

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Norikuradake

Stratovolcano · 3,026 m · Last eruption: 50 BCE

Mount Norikura is a potentially active volcano located on the borders of Gifu and Nagano prefectures in Japan. It is part of the Hida Mountains and is listed among the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains and the New 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

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Hakusan

Stratovolcano · 2,702 m · Last eruption: 1659

Mount Haku , or Hakusan, is a dormant stratovolcano in Japan. It is located on the borders of Gifu and Ishikawa, on the island of Honshu. Mount Haku is thought to have first been active 300,000 to 400,000 years ago, with the most recent eruption occurring in 1659. Along with Mount Tate and Mount Fuji, it is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" .

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Nikko-Shiranesan

Shield volcano · 2,578 m · Last eruption: 1952

Mount Nikkō-Shirane is a stratovolcano in the Nikkō National Park in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. It stands at 2,578 m high. It is the highest mountain in north eastern Japan. Its peak is a Lava dome of andesite. Mt Nikkō-Shirane is listed in the 100 famous mountains in Japan proposed by Kyuya Fukada and also of one of the famous mountains of Tochigi and Gunma prefectures respectively.

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Short descriptions: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions about volcanoes in Japan

How many volcanoes are there in Japan?
The Holocene catalogue of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 117 volcanoes in Japan. It covers volcanoes with eruptions during the last roughly 12,000 years.
Which volcano in Japan is the highest?
The highest recorded volcano is Fujisan at 3,776 m.
When was the last documented eruption in Japan?
The most recent eruption documented in the catalogue dates from 2026 (Aira).
Are the volcanoes in Japan active?
1 of the 117 volcanoes currently have an eruption report or an elevated alert level. The status is updated continuously from the official sources.
Why does the map show aircraft around volcanoes?
Volcanic ash endangers aircraft engines. The map therefore shows live positions within 50 km of a volcano so that the proximity of air traffic to an active volcano becomes visible.
Where does the data on this page come from?
Catalogue data and eruption history from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, significant eruptions from NOAA NCEI, alert levels and bulletins from USGS, GeoNet and INGV, earthquakes from the QuakeMap24 database, flight positions from ADSB.lol.

Volcanoes in other countries

Countries with at least 5 volcanoes in the catalogue.

All countries with volcanoes

Sources and data dates

Everything shown comes from the public sources listed below and is updated automatically.

QuakeMap24 is not a warning authority. Follow the responsible authorities when making local decisions.