New land created in Japan after volcanic eruption

The Japanese government said Thursday a new land area was created after a volcanic eruption occurred under the sea in the Pacific expressing hopes that it will grow into a permanent island. The volcanic eruption occurred on Wednesday, and the land, around 200 meters in diameter and up to some 20 meters in height, has risen near an uninhabited island in the Ogasawara islet chain, about 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Japan Coast Guard. The two agencies warned ships in the Pacific to take caution. It was the first volcanic eruption in the area since 1974, according to the agency. Television footage showed Thursday heavy black smoke, ash and rocks exploding from the crater. The weather agency said it is too early to confirm the new land area as an island. "If it will grow to a full-fledged island, we would be happy to have more territory," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga welcomed the news. "We will pay close attention to volcanic activities in the area whether the new land would be certified as an island," the top government spokesman told a press conference. "This has happened in the past and in some cases the islands eventually disappeared," Suga said The Japanese archipelago consists of four main islands and more than 3,900 smaller islands.