Mount Kusatsu-Shirane
Stratovolcano on the island of Honshu, Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mount Kusatsu-Shirane (草津白根山, Kusatsu Shirane-san) is a 2,165 m (7,103 ft) active stratovolcano in Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan.[2] It is called Kusatsu Shirane to differentiate it from the Mount Nikkō-Shirane on the other side of Gunma Prefecture. The summit of Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, located immediately north of Asama volcano, consists of a series of overlapping pyroclastic cones and three crater lakes. The largest of these is Yu-gama, an acidic emerald green lake with rafts of yellow sulfur sometimes seen floating on its surface.[3][4]
| Mount Kusatsu-Shirane | |
|---|---|
View of Mount Kusatsu-Shirane from the southeast | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,165 m (7,103 ft) |
| Coordinates | 36.6438°N 138.5279°E |
| Naming | |
| Native name | 草津白根山 (Japanese) |
| Geography | |
  Mount Kusatsu-Shirane Location within Central Japan  Mount Kusatsu-Shirane Location within Japan | |
| Location | Honshū, Japan |
| Geology | |
| Stratovolcano | |
| Volcanic arc | Northeastern Japan Arc |
| Last eruption | January 23, 2018[1] |
On January 23, 2018, a minor phreatic eruption of the volcano occurred.[5] One person was killed, and others were injured in an avalanche triggered by the eruption.[6] The next day, new activity forced police to suspend search operations.[7] One month after the eruption, it was announced by prefectural officials that only the summit of the volcano was off limits to the public.[8]
2025-2026 unrest
On August 4, 2025 the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that unrest activity had increased. They also raised the Observation alert level from 1 to a 2 "Restriction on the proximity to crater". More then 40 volcanic earthquakes were reported.[9] As of January 8, 2026, volcanic unrest has continued.[10]
Relief map of Kusatsu-Shirane Volcano
Yugama crater
