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Fuji-Hakone-Izu NP, Tokyo
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In 2000, Oyama collapsed into a caldera about 1.5 km wide and 450 m deep—almost the same size and place as Hacchodaira Caldera, formed about 2,500 years earlier. The summit was rebuilt, then swallowed again.
On Aug 18, the eruption sent ash 14 km (about 46,000 ft) into the sky. Ash fell 10 cm deep on the western foothills, while volcanic bombs up to 50 cm across landed mid-slope—evidence of the force reshaping Oyama.
Before 2000, Hacchodaira near Oyama’s summit was an easy hiking destination where visitors could see rare flowers and plants up close. The collapse transformed a familiar island landscape into the dramatic caldera seen today.
At first, earthquakes shifted west, signs of an offshore eruption appeared, and local evacuation warnings were lifted. Then quakes returned beneath Oyama; a July 8 summit blast began the collapse that created this landscape.
After the explosive phase, sulfur dioxide still poured from Oyama—up to 50,000 tonnes daily in autumn 2000. More than 4,000 residents evacuated; the order lifted Feb 1, 2005, after 4 years and 5 months.
Trees kept dying in some damaged areas, yet researchers found two grasses increasing after the eruption: Miscanthus condensatus and Carex oshimensis. Their tolerance of sulfur dioxide and acidic soil helped them colonize the harsh terrain.
