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Shimabara Disaster

On November 17, 1990, Mount Fugen began to erupt for the first time in 198 years. The pyroclastic flow on June 3, 1991, caused a terrible disaster with 40 deaths, 3 missing people, 9 injuries, and 179 damaged houses. The volcanic activity continued for four and a half years.

This great disaster is said to be due to the broadcast footage. Before the big eruption, members of the mass media competed to get impressive photos and videos. They wouldn’t evacuate from the good shooting points, which were designated as evacuation places. Sixteen media personnel died, and the firefighters and police officers who came to warn them to evacuate got caught in the pyroclastic flow. It is rightly considered a man-made disaster.

Buried Houses

Next to Road Station “Mizunashi Honjin Fukae,” eleven damaged houses from the mudslide caused by the eruption of Unzen Fugendake are preserved and exhibited.

Mt. Unzen Disaster Museum

The museum, named Gamadasu Dome, displays information about the disaster. “Gamadasu” is a dialect word meaning “to persevere.”

The museum mainly displays the remains, documentary videos, and photos of the disaster caused by the eruption of Mt. Unzen in 1996, along with showcases of the local people’s efforts to recover. You can feel the great speed of pyroclastic flows by watching the path set under the floor showing the fast movement of red light.