Japan's largest active volcano : Mt Aso, Kumamoto

In this installment of Cinematic Asia we travel to Mt Aso in Kumamoto prefecture Japan. This region is a seizmic hotbed, massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common place here and it is no wonder that Mt Aso is the largest and most active volcano in Japan.

The present Aso Caldera formed as a result of four huge caldera eruptions occurring over a range of 90,000–300,000 years ago.[citation needed] The caldera, one of the largest in the world, contains the city of Aso as well as Takamori and Minamiaso enclosing the caldera extends about 18 km east to west and about 25 km north to south. Viewpoints from the somma overlooking the caldera are perched upon lava formed before the volcanic activity which created the present caldera. Ejecta from the huge caldera eruption 90,800 years ago covers more than 600 km3 and roughly equals the volume of Mount Fuji; it is presumed[by whom?] that the pyroclastic flow plateau covered half of Kyushu.

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