The government is considering relocating the entire community of the Lake Toya hot spring resort area, which lies at the foot of the erupting Mount Usu in southwestern Hokkaido, Construction Minister Masaaki Nakayama said Friday.
"We can't force (the residents) to move, but if they agree, it is our responsibility to offer them a place to continue their tourism-related business activities," Nakayama told a regular news conference.
Residents and workers at the hot spring resort in the town of Abuta, which has been closed off since the volcano began its latest series of eruptions on March 31, have been forced to evacuate the area for the past seven weeks.