Alert for Mt Sakurajima raised to 4

August 15, 2015

Utlility: volcano won't affect nuclear plant

Aug. 15, 2015 - Updated 07:10 UTC+2

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html

Kyushu Electric Power Company says a possible eruption on Mount Sakurajima in western Japan will not affect the operation of its nuclear plant in the prefecture.

The utility began transmitting electricity generated at the No. 1 reactor of its Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture on Friday.

The plant is located about 50 kilometers from Mount Sakurajima. It was restarted on Tuesday -- the first nuclear power station to go back online in nearly 2 years in Japan.

The company made the comment after the alert level on the mountain was raised to 4 on Saturday, urging people to prepare for evacuation.

Utility officials say they are not taking any particular precautions because they think a possible eruption would not affect the plant. But they say they will collect relevant data carefully.

They suggested they are proceeding with work to increase output as planned.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority also says any possible eruption will not affect the plant.

Alert for Mt. Sakurajima up to highest-ever level of 4

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150815p2g00m0dm035000c.html

KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) -- The weather agency on Saturday raised its alert level for the Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture to 4 on a 5-point scale, the highest ever for the mountain, with the possibility growing of a major eruption there.

The level 4 alert calls for evacuation preparations. Earthquakes originating from the island volcano near Kagoshima City in Kagoshima Prefecture have been frequently recorded since around 7 a.m. Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The city issued an evacuation advisory for parts of the Mt. Sakurajima area, affecting 77 residents.

There have been some 690 eruptions from the Showa vent of the 1,117-meter volcano since the start of this year, with the plume reaching an altitude of some 4,300 meters on May 21.

The volcano had a major eruption in August 2013, spewing volcanic ash 5,000 meters into the sky.

Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant, which became the first to be rebooted Tuesday under Japan's tightened safety rules, is located some 50 kilometers from the volcano. No abnormality has been reported at the plant.

August 15, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)

Anxiety among residents as eruption alert level heightened for Mt. Sakurajima

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150815p2a00m0na019000c.html

KAGOSHIMA -- The Japan Meteorological Agency raised its eruption alert level for the Sakurajima volcano on the southwestern main island of Kyushu to 4 on a 5-point scale on Aug. 15, sparking concerns among local residents.

Reiko Kawamori, 85, who lives by herself on the volcanic island, said anxiously, "I learned it was raised to that level for evacuation preparations through the community wireless system. I feel uneasy because it is the first time for me to make evacuation preparations although I have lived on Sakurajima for about 70 years. I have packed my valuables so that I can get out of here immediately if something happens."

Kumiko Nakamura, 85, who lives in the Arimuracho district of Kagoshima, said that she had come to know through television that the alert was raised to the level for evacuation preparations. "There is no change in the situation outside, but I am surprised." Because she is physically-disabled and living alone, she said, "Fire department officials are supposed to come and pick me up when I need to evacuate. So, I cannot help but stand ready at home."

A welfare center for the elderly in the city's Higashisakurajima-cho district, plans to accept evacuees from two districts within a radius of 3 kilometers of the volcanic vent. An official of the facility said hastily, "The city government has not contacted us yet, but I was just talking with the head of the center over the phone and we decided to watch the situation for now. If we were to actually accept evacuees, we would gather staff and open 2nd-floor tatami-rooms to them."

Staff at the Hotel Rainbow Sakurajima, a publicly-owned lodging facility, hastily said, "We are asking our customers who are taking a hot spring bath to pack their belongings and prepare to evacuate."

Koyoshi Iwamoto, 72, who runs a hotel in the Furusato-cho district of Kagoshima, was busy calling customers to cancel their reservations. He said nervously, "Our customers' safety comes first. We have made preparations to evacuate any time, but I wonder what will happen."

Kagoshima residents told to prepare to evacuate as volcano warning for Sakurajima raised

August 15, 2015

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201508150025

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Residents of parts of Kagoshima city were warned to prepare to evacuate Aug. 15 as the Japan Meteorological Agency said a major eruption of volcanic Mount Sakurajima could be imminent.

The agency raised its warning to Level 4, the first time it has done so for Sakurajima since the volcano warning system was introduced in 2007.

The warning level affects residents in the Arimuracho and Furusatocho districts of Kagoshima city. The districts are located within 3 kilometers of two volcanic vents, and face the possibility of being inundated by volcanic cinders or covered by pyroclastic flows.

Agency officials said 30 volcanic tremors were recorded between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Aug. 15, centered in the vicinity directly under the Minamidake vent.

Other signs of sudden crustal movement were also observed on the morning of Aug. 15.

In July 2012 and August 2013, Sakurajima erupted and spewed large amounts of volcanic ash. Agency officials said there were indications a much larger eruption was in the offing.

Sakurajima is located 50 or so kilometers from the Sendai nuclear power plant, which began resuming operations on Aug. 11 after clearing stricter safety hurdles in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

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