On July 15, 1888 Mount Bandai,  in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan erupted after a series of earth quakes shook villagers out of their beds.

Mount Bandai – Fukushima Prefecture
From the National Park – 1952: Bandai-Asahi, Tohoku Region set
Issued by Japan Post in 1952

The Bandai region was still shaking from it’s 3rd earthquake of the day when at 07:45 am, Bandai volcano exploded in a phreatic blast of steaming and boiling water, breaking open vents on the side of the volcano. For 15-20 minutes, explosions continuously rattled the morning calm until lava began flowing down the eastern slope.  Thunder, thick black smoke and hot volcanic ash covered hundreds of square kilometres of farmland and forest by 2pm. 5 villages disappeared under the onslaught of and lava.