Japan is one of the worlds most seismically active countries and experiences on average one earthquake a day, though most of these are small tremors and usually pass relatively unoticed. However, experts do warn that the possibility of the capital being hit by a big quake in the near future is pretty high as the seismic activity is particularly active in the Kanto region in which Tokyo is situated. The last major quake to hit Tokyo was the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 that killed around 100,000 people and destroyed much of the city. Tokyo is on the receiving end of a biggie about every 60 years and so another big one is overdue.
Volcanoes
The islands of Japan lie on the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' and were formed very recently in geological terms. Many of Japan's mountains are volcanic and there are over 40 presently active volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes continue to reshape the terrain and shake the country's complex infrustructure.
