Ancient eruption's effects on Japan's Jomon people were uneven, study finds
New research led by Lund University examined how the Kikai-Akahoya eruption about 7,300 years ago affected Jomon hunter-gatherer communities in Japan. Rather than a uniform collapse or survival, the study found a mix of population loss, relocation, adaptation, and even growth in different areas.
The Kikai-Akahoya event occurred underwater off Japan roughly 7,300 years ago. It generated earthquakes, tsunamis, and ash layers several meters deep, according to the study. Jomon groups in the region lived by hunting and gathering.
Before the blast, southern Kyushu's population was already falling, leaving mostly mobile foragers. Northern Kyushu, by contrast, was growing and kept growing after the eruption despite lasting ecological harm. Researchers propose that people leaving devastated zones may have moved there. Inland survivors also shifted toward the northern coast, where marine food sources rebounded comparatively fast.
This study may influence how researchers, educators, and museums present ancient disaster resilience. It could also inform modern discussions of volcanic risk by showing that impacts vary across regions and that migration and adaptation can shape recovery. Communities near active volcanoes, emergency planners, and historians may find the findings useful for framing past and future catastrophes, though the Jomon case remains distant and not directly predictive.