浅間山を眺める度に、蘇る若き日の登頂

　高崎市木部町の鏑川の土手から、午前中に撮った活火山・浅間山です。青空とマッチして優美にして雄大な白銀の姿です。標高２５６８mの威容を見ると、群馬県に住んでいて良かったとつくづく思います。

　しかし、自然は素晴らしい景色という恩恵を与えるのみでなく、長い年月に私たちの祖先は浅間山の脅威に震えました。１７８３年(天明３年)には、地元・鎌原村を襲う大噴火が起こり、２４１年経過した今でも、多くの民家と４００名以上と言われる人命を飲み込んだままになってます。流れ出た熱泥流は我妻川から利根川を下り、５０km以上離れた群馬県東部にまで被害を及ぼしたと記録されてます。

　私が中学生の頃にも、たびたび大噴火が起こり、頂上から５０００m程もくもく立ち昇る噴煙の光景が今でも目に焼き付いてます。

　若き日、元気だった私はこの浅間山に３回登頂し、山頂は別天地のため四方八方の光景が素晴らしく、広大な関東平野と利根川の蛇行、北アルプスの連なり、高く見えた富士山の姿は今でも鮮明に覚えています。

　それ以上に、浅間山山頂で最も印象深かったことは、直径は３００mほど、２００mほど垂直に切り立った深い火口で、常に崖の途中から煙が出てました。人類は月世界に行けても、浅間山の火口底に降りた人は未だ居ないでしょう。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in active volcano

　This is the active volcano, Mt. Asama, taken by me in the morning from the bank of the Kabra River in Kibe-town, Takasaki City. It has an elegant and majestic silvery appearance that matches the blue sky in this season. When I see the majesty of the mountain at an altitude of 2,568m, I am truly glad that I live in Gumma Prefecture, Japan.

　However, nature does not only provide us with the blessings of wonderful scenery, but many years ago, our ancestors trembled at the threat of Mt. Asama. In 1783 (Tenmei 3), a large eruption occurred that hit the local village named Kambara, and even now, 241 years passed, many homes and over 400 people were berried by the volcanic eruption. It is recorded that the thermal mudslide that flowed from the Agatsuma River down the Tone River caused damage as far as eastern Gumma Prefecture, more than 50 km away.

　When I was a junior high school student, large eruptions often occurred, and the sight of volcanic smoke rising 5,000 meters from the summit is still etched in my mind.

　When I was young and energetic, I climbed Mt. Asama three times. The summit was a different world, so the views in all directions were spectacular. The vast Kanto Plain and the meandering Tone-River, the Northern Alps, and the high view of Mt. Fuji. I still remember it vividly.

　More than that, the most impressive memory about the summit of Mt. Asama was the deep crater, about 300m in diameter and about 200m vertical depth, with smoke constantly coming out from the middle of the cliff. Even if humans could go to the moon surface, there would still be no one who has descended to the bottom of the crater of Mt. Asama, I guess.

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