Mt. Usu and Lake Toya

 Mt. Usu and Lake Toya

Hi, I am Kotaro.

Have you ever heard of Mount Usu? It is a volcano located in western Hokkaido, about 100 km from Sapporo.

A huge eruption took place 110,000 years ago, creating a caldera. The caldera was filled with water and became the present Lake Toya.

 

Despite the fact that Mt. Usu has erupted many times and is still active, there are still many people living around it. This is a rare occurrence in other countries.

In the past eruptions, craters have sometimes formed in towns. Why do people continue to live there although it is so dangerous? This is quite rare in the world, and is a characteristic of Japan, a country with many volcanoes.

It has to do with the fact that the fertile soil of volcanic ash and the complex coastline created by the lava bring many blessings.

The complex coastline is a haven for many aquatic organisms, and scallops and octopus are often harvested in the vicinity.

In addition, Toyako Onsen, which was created from the eruption, has become a famous hot spring resort and tourism industry has developed.

The people of Toyako Town live in harmony with the volcano.