It's been three months since Mount Asamayama straddling Nagano and Gunma prefectures erupted, spewing ash and cinders. But tourists still quake with fear at the idea of visiting the region.

Though the first eruption in 21 years was classified as midscale, the mountain still belches 2,000 to 4,000 tons of volcanic gases a day. While a more than 500-degree temperature at the crater's bottom keeps it red hot, local tourism has cooled drastically.

To make things worse, rumblings recorded from inside the mountain's belly may be the strongest since its last major eruption in 1973.

The timing could not be worse. This scenic region also borders Niigata Prefecture, which is still reeling from the Oct. 23 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake.

Tourists are naturally concerned about aftershocks. Hordes have canceled their reservations to local resorts. The tourism industry is now bracing for its own disaster.

The 2,568-meter mountain spans various tourist magnets, including well-known hot-spring spas and the Karuizawa getaway.

Local residents are hard hit by the drain of visitors.

On Wednesday, local innkeepers' wives, clad in eye-catching kimono, showed up at Tokyo Station to promote onsen hot-springs in the region. Gunma Prefecture is leading the campaign that runs until Sunday.

It hasn't been a good year for tourism in Gunma.

Its leading hot-spring haven, Ikaho onsen, was fingered in a string of hot-spring-water mislabeling scandals that broke out in August. Many resorts were found to be touching up their natural springs.

While the area was still reeling from the blow, Mount Asamayama suddenly erupted on Sept. 1.

Hot-spring resorts in the area were immediately flooded with cancellations. The downward slide continued with the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake.

``We hear a lot of (potential tourists) saying, `You're right next door, and we're worried about an earthquake,''' said Kazuyuki Fujita, a Gunma official. ``It's so unfair. We never got much of a shock after the main earthquake.''

The Takamine highlands in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture, are located about 4.5 kilometers from Mount Asamayama, outside the mountain's 4-kilometer-radius danger zone.

There have been no damages or threats of danger in Komoro. Still, the number of visitors remains about half that of a normal year.

``We try to explain there are no effects of the eruption whatsoever, thanks to the distance and the wind-but to no avail,'' lamented Yoshiaki Yamagishi, head of the Takamine Kogen Hotel. ``If the volcano keeps at it, we are going to be in deep trouble.''

More than half the reservations for September and October at the Chidolly Hotel, at the Asama 2000 Park ski slopes, were cancelled.

A January skiing workshop for 8,000 junior high school students from Nerima Ward, Tokyo, has also been scrapped.

``We were booked solid until the end of December in August, before the mountain erupted,'' said hotel manager Kenichi Ichimura.

Even Karuizawa, a famed resort area, is experiencing a 20- to 30-percent drop in tourists this season.

Hitoshi Yamasato, of the Japan Meteorological Agency, indicated it is difficult to say just how unfounded tourists' fears may be.

``There are no tell-tale signs of an imminent massive eruption,'' he said. ``But at the same time, there are no signs pointing to an all-clear.''

According to the agency, back in 1982, Mount Asamayama remained active for one year. But even then, there were only three actual eruptions.

This time, the agency has already observed more than 2,000 eruptions, counting those of minuscule scale.

The difference may be in the cause. Experts agree the 1982 explosion was caused by volcanic gases that had accumulated near the crater.

This time, the probable cause is magma rising to the surface, resembling the 1973 eruption, when the mountain shook for four months, causing about 4,000 small explosions.

In public lectures, Shigeo Aramaki, 74, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, tries to stress the need to co-exist with the capricious volcano.

``It all depends on the people involved in the tourist industry,'' Aramaki said. ``If they are not knowledgeable about the volcano, tourists naturally get jittery, and that may be enough to start rumors. ...

``People need to know more about our volcano,'' he added. ``Enjoy the mountain when it is quiet. Retreat when it becomes dangerous.''

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Mount asamayama Past Eruptions

1721: Volcanic cinders kill 15 mountain climbers

1783: Eruptions with lava flows kill 1,151

1911: Sporadic eruptions. Numerous deaths

1930: Six die near crater

1931: Three deaths

1947: Eleven mountain climbers die

1973: Eruption occurs after dormant period of 11 years and 3 months. Three small-scale lava flows

1982: Eruption sends ashes to Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. Eruptions continue until 1983.

1990: Minor eruption. Limited ash fall recorded.

2003: Four minuscule eruptions. Small amount of ash fall. 2004: Four midscale eruptions occur from September to November.

(Compiled by the Japan Meteorological Agency)(IHT/Asahi: December 4,2004)