Japan Marks 12th Anniversary of Mount Ontake Eruption
Participants offered silent prayers at 11:52 a.m., the time of the eruption, and placed white chrysanthemums on the flower offering table.
On September 27, Otaki, a village in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, held a memorial ceremony for the victims of the 12-year anniversary of the Mount Ontake eruption. The event, held at Matsubara Sports Park and co-hosted by Otaki and the town of Kiso, drew about 60 people, including bereaved families and locals. Participants observed a moment of silence at 11:52 a.m., the precise time the eruption occurred, and placed white chrysanthemums on the flower offering table.
Bereaved families filed a lawsuit against the national and Nagano prefectural governments, alleging that the Japan Meteorological Agency's failure to raise the alert level led to the deaths and injuries of hikers. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the case in January. This year marked the first time in 11 years that the agency's director-general attended the ceremony, vowing, "We will make constant efforts to provide more accurate information."
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