This is Shimabara, Japan. It used to be full of people until a little over 26 years ago when Mount Unzen erupted, destroying much of this small town. Every time I visit, another store is shut down, another family has moved. The big schools don't have many kids to teach, and almost everybody who still lives there is old. Some people who still remain in Shimabara can recall the eruption and memories of hot lava rushing by their houses as they stare out their bedroom windows. A former bus driver that I once spoke to told me that he was driving on that very volcano as it was erupting: "Chickens were falling from the sky because the smoke was suffocating them," (he most likely meant to say birds, not chickens). It's even possible to see some houses that are almost completely underground now. There are half houses and roofs sticking out of the ground, preserved in order to show the destruction and to remember the history and lives lost. Shimabara is a very interesting little town and I am so grateful and lucky to be able to visit it every year!
(photo of Mt. Mayuyama (middle), Volcano Unzen (left))
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