Japan raises warning level on volcano cluster

Japan’s Meteorological Agency raised the alert on the Zao range (a cluster of volcanoes in northern Japan) from two to one, which means travellers should stay away from the crater.

“A number of small earth movements were detected on Tuesday, along with a slight bulging of the ground in one area. There is a possibility of a small-scale eruption,” the agency said in a statement.

It also warned of the possibility that volcanic rocks could be thrown as far as 1.2 km in any eruption. They stand at 1,841 metres (6,040 feet) at their highest point.