One of the things which struck me as a foreigner in Japan are volcanoes. These appear to me as hazardous looking, strangely colored and sulphur-smelling zones which seem to directly link to the devilish inwards of our planet.
The geologic activities around Lake Toya are especially fascinating. Despite the beautiful scenery of Lake Toya, nature some time strikes back to us humans with natural catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The eminent volcano Usu-zan erupted several times in the last century with dramatic consequences for the people and geography in this are. In particular the eruptions in 1977 and 2000 had a big impact on the life of local people.
Streets were shifted and twisted randomly, the whole ground turned upside down in a few hours so that some areas became completely uninhabitable, nicely built houses deformed and were covered with ashes in an instant and even coastlines changed shape.
The Toya Ecomuseum gives an insight in why and how all the eruptions and destroying happened and how it can be geological explained. For example it's possible to visit the ruins of what was not long ago a nice village with a kindergarten and a living community. Now streets end right in a lake, sewer pipes stick out from the rim of a volcano crater and traffic signs stand in the middle of nowhere just encircled by volcanic fumes.
This all really gave me back a lot of respect for the nature surrounding myself. Even if you work hard, try your best to build a house and make a living, in an instant this all could be gone.
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