Mount Bandai

　Mount Bandai is one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. When viewed from Lake Inawashiro, it presents such an elegant silhouette that it is also known as ‘Aizu Fuji’; however, the view from the north—known as ‘Ura-Bandai’—is entirely different.

　The 1888 eruption caused the mountain’s slope to collapse, and 477 lives were lost as a result of the resulting mudflows and blast waves. This photograph was taken from Bishamon-numa, a lake formed by that eruption. The view of the cobalt-blue lake surface with Mount Bandai in the background makes this a popular hiking route, but as it is a habitat for Asian black bears, visitors must exercise extreme caution.