Tourists Steering Away From Japan's Volcanic Venues

Above, a view outside of the Mt. Aso ropeway station in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The eruption of Mount Ontake in which 47 hikers were killed and about 16 people are reported missing has scared away tourists to Japan's volcanic venues.

According to the Japan Times:

Tourist destinations around the nation’s volcanoes have been flooded with inquiries from worried customers in the wake of the deadly eruption of Mount Ontake on Sept. 27. 

Reservations at some inns are being canceled even as the best time for viewing the autumn leaves approaches. 

An employee of the Mount Aso cable car company in Kumamoto Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Aso, said inquiries, mostly from travel companies, have surged in the wake of the surprise eruption, which left at least 47 hikers dead on Mount Ontake.

When I visited Mount Aso back in 2007, although the park was in the midst of a blizzard, we were told that we could not use the ropeway as there was poisonous gases being emitted from the volcano. This is one of the things that people have to contend with when visiting active volcanic areas.

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