The Japanese government recently released a video using AI and computer graphics to show what could happen if Mount Fuji were to erupt. The video focuses on the impact such a disaster would have on Tokyo, a city home to more than 37 million people.
The goal is not to scare citizens but to prepare them. Mt. Fuji is an active volcano, meaning an eruption is not a question of if, but when. Its last eruption was in 1707, lasting two weeks, destroying crops, and triggering a decade-long famine. Back then, eruptions occurred roughly every 30 years, causing widespread devastation. Today, Tokyo is far more complex, with modern infrastructure like electricity, railways, and cell towers that are vulnerable to volcanic hazards.
Located just 60 miles from Mt. Fuji, Tokyo is now the world’s most populated city. Advanced transit systems, packed highways, and dense urban areas would all be affected if the volcano erupted.
According to the video, ash could reach Tokyo within just two hours. In the city, ash particles are expected to be about 2 millimeters wide, while areas closer to the volcano could see rocks several centimeters across falling from the sky. Unlike rain, this ash would accumulate two to three feet deep, disrupting access to power, food, and other essentials.
Because there is no warning system that can detect an eruption in time, the government urges residents to prepare in advance. Stocking up on supplies and other survival necessities is key. The video emphasizes, “We need to arm ourselves with facts and prepare for disaster in our daily lives.”
Mt. Fuji is not Japan’s only active volcano. It is one of 111 volcanoes in the Pacific’s Ring of Fire. A volcanic eruption in Japan is not a matter of if, but when.
