What you can see on the Tokachi cams
Tokachi can be followed at two scales: the long, broad mass of the range above the farmland, which is a view for the weather and the snow, and the rough, rocky ground of the crater slopes up close. Low cloud often settles on the upper slopes and hides the summit while the lower flanks stay clear. After a snowfall the fresh snow picks out every ledge and boulder, and in winter the whole mountain is white.
Mount Tokachi's broad flanks from the farmland
From the Shirogane ranch, on open farmland at the foot of Mount Tokachi, the camera looks up at the volcano from below. The mountain fills the lower part of the frame as a long, broad mass running almost from edge to edge, with a wide stretch of sky above it. The Japanese label sits in the top corner and the time stamp at the bottom right.
At this distance it is a view for the weather and the snow rather than for detail. Low cloud often settles on the upper slopes and hides the summit, while the snow on the lower flanks still shows beneath it. For a close look at the crater area, the camera near the mountain hut is the one to check.
Snow-dusted rock high on the crater slopes
Set high on the mountain, south-east of the mountain hut, this Japan Meteorological Agency camera is one of the closest to the active craters of Mount Tokachi. Instead of a distant profile it shows rough ground up close: a dark, rounded mound in the foreground and, behind it, a band of broken, rocky ridges rising towards the upper slopes. After a snowfall the fresh snow picks out every ledge and boulder.
Because it sits so high, cloud reaches it more often than the views from the farmland below, but on a clear day it gives the nearest look at the crater area. The agency keeps watch here because Tokachi is one of the most active volcanoes in Hokkaido.
Biei's rolling farmland under a big sky
The camera looks out from a roadside in Biei, the farming town north-west of Mount Tokachi. A road crosses the foreground, with lorries and cars passing; behind it come hedges and a line of trees, then the rolling fields Biei is known for, with scattered farm buildings and dark windbreaks of conifers. Low hills close the horizon, and the sky takes up most of the picture.
It is shared on Windy, whose player lets you run back through the last 24 hours, which is handy for seeing how cloud and sunshine move across the farmland during the day. The fields of Biei and nearby Furano draw visitors in summer, when the lavender and other flowers are out.
Eruptions of Tokachi
In May 1926, an eruption melted snow on the upper slopes and sent a mudflow down the valleys that killed 144 people in the farming villages below. The disaster inspired Deiryū Chitai, a well-known Japanese novel by Tetsuo Miura about the families who rebuilt their farms afterwards. Later eruptions came in 1962 and in 1988–89. Because of that history, the valleys below have dams and warning systems against mudflows.
When to watch Tokachi
Clear winter days give the most dramatic views, with snow over the whole mountain. Summer and autumn mornings are often clear too, before clouds build up. Japan is nine hours ahead of UTC.
Around Tokachidake
Shirogane Onsen, a hot spring area at the foot of the volcano, is close to the Blue Pond, whose water is coloured bright blue by dissolved minerals. The towns of Biei and Furano, known for rolling farmland and summer lavender fields, lie a short drive away.
Visiting Tokachi
In calm periods, a trail leads from Bōgakudai to the summit. When the Japan Meteorological Agency raises the alert level, the areas near the craters close, so check the current level before going.
