Mount Bandai (磐梯山, Bandai-san) is a stratovolcano located in Inawashiro-town, Bandai-town, and Kitashiobara village, in Yama-Gun, Fukushima prefecture.

Mount Bandai was originally called “Iwahashi-yama” which means “a rock ladder to the sky”.

Typical features of mount Bandai's activity are debris avalanches and sector collapses.

It is believed that hot ground water continuously spurting out had eroded the mountain and this caused it to collapse.

The avalanche of debris buried five nearby villages on the north foot of the mountain and 477 people were killed.

The government launched an enquiry to investigate the eruption, and provided relief and attempted to rebuild the affected villages.

Extensive research, including surveys was undertaken into the causes of the eruption and the extent of the damage – this was an unusual measure to take at the time.

The Japanese Red Cross organization was involved in the relief effort, having been formed the previous year (1887) following an eruption.