Japan Lowers Meakandake Volcano Alert to Level 1, Lifting Entry Limits
Japan's meteorological agency lowered the volcanic alert level for Meakandake, a volcano in eastern Hokkaido, from Level 2 to Level 1 in a bulletin issued at 10 a.m. JST (01:00 UTC) on Nov. 4, 2026, lifting entry restrictions for Kushiro City and Ashoro Town.
The Sapporo Regional Meteorological Observatory, part of the Japan Meteorological Agency, said the possibility of an eruption affecting the area within about 500 meters of the Ponmachineneshiri crater has decreased. Level 1 means the volcano remains active and warrants awareness; Level 2, the level now lifted, had required precautions such as entry restrictions around the crater. JMA's volcanic alert scale runs from Level 1 to Level 5, and Level 5 is reserved for an eruption that has caused, or is judged imminent to cause, serious damage to a residential area, at which point residents are told to evacuate.
The agency said volcanic activity at Meakandake had been elevated since September 2025, with a declining trend observed since May 2026.
Because Meakandake remains an active volcano, the agency said a sudden eruption-scale event affecting the crater itself cannot be ruled out, and advised people in or near the crater to watch for volcanic gas and ash emissions.
