Published on Aug. 31, 2025, 5:17 PM
Sitting 100 km west of the city, ash from Mt. Fuji would cause widespread disruptions throughout the Tokyo area
Officials in Tokyo recently released an AI-generated video to demonstrate the potential effects an eruption of Mt. Fuji could have on the Tokyo metropolitan area—a region that’s home to more than 38 million people.
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Mt. Fuji is an iconic stratovolcano that sits about 100 km west of Tokyo proper. Normally covered by snow, the near-symmetrical mountain is world-renowned for its beauty and significance.
There is currently no risk of an eruption at Mt. Fuji. However, given the volcano’s proximity to the world’s most populous metropolitan area, officials utilized AI technology to illustrate what an eruption might look like from Tokyo—and what effects its ash cloud could have on the city and its suburbs.
Simulated imagery shows nearly every exposed surface in the city caked with volcanic ash, grinding street and rail travel to a halt.
A map created by the Japanese government’s Mount Fuji Hazard Map Review Committee Report shows the potential extent of ashfall if the volcano were to erupt.
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Communities immediately surrounding Mt. Fuji could see 30-50+ cm of accumulated ash, while the Tokyo area could expect 2-10 cm of ash accumulation. Ashfall would heavily depend on wind speed and direction, precipitation, and the characteristics of the eruption itself.
AloJapan.com