What you can see on the Suwanosejima cams
Suwanosejima is a single volcanic cone rising from the open sea, with green, grassy ridges climbing to the bare summit of Otake. Explosions from the crater can send ash plumes more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above it, and the drift of a plume shows which way the wind is blowing. At night, bursts of glowing rock can light up the summit.
Green ridges up to the bare summit of Otake
From the campsite on the island itself, the camera looks up at the volcano over green, grassy ridges cut by small valleys. Higher up the vegetation thins out, and the summit of Otake shows as a bare, brownish ridge along the skyline, with a steeper, darker slope falling away on the right. The caption reads 諏訪之瀬島（キャンプ場）, Suwanosejima (campsite).
This is the closer of the two Suwanosejima views and shows the summit area in more detail. Otake rises to 796 m, and the island's small village lies a few kilometres from the crater.
The whole island across the open sea
Unlike the camera at the campsite, this one looks at Suwanosejima from across the water, so the whole volcano fits in one frame: a single cone rising from the sea, with long flanks running down to the shoreline at both edges and the summit near the centre. The top of Otake is slightly flattened, and most of the picture above it is sky.
The distance makes this the view for the big picture. An ash plume more than 1,000 m above the crater stays inside the frame, and its drift shows which way the wind is blowing.
Eruptions of Suwanosejima
In 1813, a large eruption forced the islanders to leave, and Suwanosejima stayed uninhabited for about 70 years. Today fewer than 100 people live on the island, in a village on its southwest side, a few kilometres from the crater. Ash falls on the village whenever the wind blows from the volcano.
When to watch Suwanosejima
The island erupts in all seasons, so the cams are worth checking at any time. Clear days show the plumes best, and nights are the time to look for glow. Japan is nine hours ahead of UTC.
Around Suwanosejima
The Tokara Islands are among the most remote places in Japan, with seven inhabited islands. They are known for hot springs, fishing and the Tokara horse, a small native breed. The nearest city is Kagoshima, a long ferry ride to the north.
Visiting Suwanosejima
A ferry from Kagoshima calls at the Tokara Islands a few times a week. The area around the crater is closed, and the island has very few places to stay, so plan well ahead.
