The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on November 4 that it had lowered the eruption warning level for Mt. Meakan in Hokkaido from 2 to 1 as of 10:00 a.m. that day ^[1]. Level 1 means the area is still recognized as an active volcano, but restrictions around the crater are no longer in place ^[1].

According to the agency, the warning had been raised to Level 2 on September 15, 2025, after a rise in volcanic earthquakes, tilt-linked volcanic tremors, and heightened thermal activity were observed near the Ponmachineshiri crater ^[1]. Very small eruptions followed in September and October 2025 and again in March 2026, but no eruptions have been observed since ^[1].

The agency said that since May, the ground tilting believed to stem from swelling near the shallow crater has stopped, and gas-venting activity has shown a gradual decline ^[1]. Earthquake activity had occasionally picked up in the meantime, but has been subdued since October ^[1]. Based on these trends, the agency judged that the chance of an eruption affecting the area within roughly 500 meters of the Ponmachineshiri crater has decreased, prompting the downgrade ^[1].

Even at Level 1, the agency cautioned that sudden volcanic gas or ash emissions confined to the crater itself remain possible, since Mt. Meakan is an active volcano, and it advised caution for anyone in or near the crater ^[1]. Anyone planning to visit the mountain should check the Japan Meteorological Agency's latest volcanic activity updates before heading out.

Source credit 出典：「雌阿寒岳の噴火警戒レベルを１へ引下げ」（気象庁）（https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/press/2611/04a/meakandake_20261104.html）、PDL1.0（https://www.digital.go.jp/resources/open_data/public_data_license_v1.0）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 This article is Japan News's own English summary of the Japanese original. It has been translated and edited by Japan News; it is not an official translation, and the Japan Meteorological Agency did not write or review it.