is an

active volcano An active volcano is a volcano which is either erupting or is likely to erupt in the future. An active volcano which is not currently erupting is known as a dormant volcano. Overview Tlocene Epoch. Most volcanoes are situated on the Pacific Ri ...

on the Japanese isle of

Izu Ōshima is an inhabited volcanic island in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea, off the coast of Honshu, Japan, east of the Izu Peninsula and southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. As with the other islands in the Izu Island group, Izu Ōshima for ...

. Although the volcano is predominantly

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

ic, major eruptions have occurred at intervals of 100–150 years.

Background

Mount Mihara's major eruption in 1986 saw lava fountains up to high. The eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3, and involved a central vent eruption, radial fissure eruption, explosive eruption, lava flows, and a

lava lake Lava lakes are large volumes of molten lava, usually basaltic, contained in a volcanic vent, crater, or broad depression. The term is used to describe both lava lakes that are wholly or partly molten and those that are solidified (someti ...

eruption. There was also a 16 km high subplinian plume. All of the island's 12,000 inhabitants were evacuated by dozens of vessels consisting of both the military and civilian volunteers. The most recent eruption was in 1990.

Suicide

From a vantage point near the top of the cone it was once possible to leap into the crater. As a result, the volcano became a popular venue for suicides. Beginning in the 1920s, several suicides occurred in the volcano every week. The most notable death by suicide is Kiyoko Matsumoto who tossed herself into Mihara's fiery pit due to her homosexuality, then-considered taboo at the time. Matsumoto, a young student who was in a relationship with fellow student Masako Tomita, traveled to the rim of the volcano where both intended to take their lives, with only Matsumoto herself doing so. After the incident, the suicide toll skyrocketed to 944 that year alone. Authorities eventually erected a fence around the base of the structure to curb the number of suicides.

Mihara in popular culture

Mt Mihara has been featured numerous times in fiction. In 1965, Oshima Island and the volcano itself appeared in the climax of

Gamera is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. Debuting in the 1965 film ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', the character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's ''Godzilla'' film ...

's debut film, where the military lured the giant turtle there as a means to trap it in a giant rocket-ship built on the island. Mount Mihara was the place where the Japanese government imprisoned

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

in the movie ''

The Return of Godzilla is a 1984 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. The film features the fictional monster character Godzilla. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is ...

''. Five years later, in the sequel ''

Godzilla vs. Biollante is a 1989 Japanese ''kaiju'' film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori, with special effects by Koichi Kawakita. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 17th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, the sec ...

'', bombs placed on Mt. Mihara go off and release Godzilla from his fiery tomb. In the novel ''Ring'' by Koji Suzuki and its subsequent film adaption, Shizuko Yamamura, the mother of

Sadako Sadako is a Japanese name, commonly used for women. Sadako is also a film. The same name can be written with a variety of kanji, and the meanings of the name differ accordingly: *, "chaste child"; the same characters can also be read as a Korean fe ...

, predicted that Mount Mihara would someday erupt using her psychic abilities. After a failed psychic demonstration which resulted in Sadako psychically murdering a reporter, Shizuko became depressed and ultimately insane and committed suicide by leaping into the crater of Mount Mihara. MiharaMountainTop

Bibliography

* ''Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide'' by Kay Redfield Jamison, Vintage Books 2000

References

External links

Izu-Oshima
- Japan Meteorological Agency * - Japan Meteorological Agency

- Geological Survey of Japan {{DEFAULTSORT:Mihara, Mount Mountains of Tokyo Stratovolcanoes of Japan Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc Active volcanoes Volcanoes of Tokyo Suicide in Japan