When people think of Japan, they often picture crowded cities, high speed trains and advanced technology. But there is also a small island in the Pacific Ocean that belongs to Tokyo: Aogashima. Located about 360 kilometres south of Tokyo, Aogashima is the southernmost of the Izu Islands. It covers approximately six square kilometres and has a population of around 160 people. What makes the island particularly interesting, however, is not its size but its volcanic structure. A smaller volcanic formation lies within the large crater that forms the island's outer rim. In other words, Aogashima consists of two volcanic formations nested within each other. Aogashima's present landscape was significantly shaped by volcanic activity between 1780 and 1785. The major eruption of 1785, in particular, marked a devastating turning point in the island's history. An estimated 130 to 140 of the 327 people living there at the time lost their lives. The survivors sought refuge on the nearby...
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