Overview
- A pyroclastic flow on June 3, 1991, was part of an eruption sequence that began in November 1990 and killed or left 43 people dead or missing, reshaping villages around Unzen and creating the Heisei-Shinzan peak.
- Memorial events at the Unzen Disaster Memorial Museum on June 3 include a candle artwork based on family memories that will be lit to honor victims and convey survivor testimony.
- Shimabara Mayor Ryuzaburo Furukawa, a former volunteer firefighter who lost 12 colleagues, has used the anniversary to reiterate his long-standing policy since 2012 to build disaster-resilient communities where neighbors check on one another.
- Survivors’ stories show long-term recovery has forced major livelihood shifts, such as families who lost livestock and later restarted as peach growers in the foothills of Fugendake.
- Local reporting and expert commentaries warn lessons from the 1990–95 eruption — including risks to reporters and gaps in local preparedness — should inform planning for future large disasters such as a Nankai earthquake or a Fuji eruption.