TOKYO A Japanese volcano that killed more than 700 people in the 1600s erupted for the first time in two years on Sunday sending smoke high into the sky. The 1,133-meter (3,700-foot) MT Komagatake started to spew white smoke at 9:12 a.m. (0012 GMT), but there had been no lava flow, the meteorological agency said. It is the first volcanic activity in about two years from the peak, about 1,250 km (775 miles) north of Tokyo on the main northern island of Hokkaido. Ash covered much of the area around the volcano, but there were no reports of injury or damage, police said.

The volcano has continued to spew towers of smoke throughout the day. The volcano lies in a national park and there are four towns within a 12-km radius. The agency said there was no need at present to order an evacuation. (Reuter)