Mt. Usu

This 737-m peak is the most active of the lot, with 4 major eruptions in the last 100 years. The latest in 2000 showered much of the neighboring town of Toyako Onsen with ash and debris. The mountain has quieted down now, and there are trails leading to newly created craters on the west side of the mountain. The most notable is Nishiyama Crater Trail (西山火口散策路), where you can see what happens to buildings, cars, roads, etc when a volcano erupts. It is also possible to hike around the southern half of the main crater if one takes the cable car on the east side to the rim. You can see a former public hot bathing house half-inundated with mud, a block of public housing whose first floor is completely buried on one side, and a part of a former bridge which was pushed by the mud some 300 metres from its original position. Just as you start this walk, there is a small hut with a man inside giving away maps of hiking in the Toyoko region in various languages including English. For some reason, the Visitor's Centre does not have this extremely useful brochure.