TOKYO (Sputnik) — Mount Asama, a volcano located about 100 miles northwest of Japan’s capital, erupted on Tuesday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
The eruption is the first one since May 2009, the country’s meteorological services specified.
The meteorological agency’s cameras captured the Asama volcano spitting out black smoke and ash, however, no serious explosions have taken place.
Following the eruption, the JMA issued a level 2 alert. It means that approaching the crater closer than 2,000 kilometers (1.25 miles) is prohibited.
Japan, which is home to 7 percent of the world’s volcanoes, has seen an upsurge in volcanic activity in recent months.
On May 28, JMA has issued a level 5 alert, the highest possible, over the eruption of the Shindake volcano on the southern island of Kuchinoerabu-jima, belonging to the Kagoshima Prefecture.
