The dramatic computer-generated film, unveiled on Tuesday to mark Volcano Disaster Prevention Day, is the first of its kind issued by the government. Officials say it is designed to sharpen public awareness of the risks posed by the 111 volcanoes that the Meteorological Agency currently classifies as active.
In the simulation, clouds of smoke and ash erupt from Fuji’s 3,776-metre (12,400-foot) summit, spewing boulders skyward and sending rivers of lava down its slopes. Within two days, the capital – 100km (62 miles) to the east – is blanketed in ash.
The film warns that just 3cm (1.2 inches) of ash could paralyse Tokyo, clogging engines, obscuring traffic signals and collapsing roofs. Air conditioning units would seize, aircraft would be grounded, and industry across the region would stall. With some 43 million people living in the metropolitan area, the video warns that the effect on public health would be severe.
But not all experts are convinced. Kimiro Meguro, a professor of disaster mitigation engineering at the University of Tokyo, described the simulation as “alarmist”.
