Talk about perfect timing?
A Japanese man didn’t realize that a selfie he would take during one of his peaceful hikes would end up being one of the most memorable ones and possibly the scariest that he’s ever taken. According to RKK Kumamoto, the man had hiked near the summit of Mount Nakadake, one of the peaks of Mount Aso which is the largest active volcano in Japan and in the world. The man unaware of what was going to happen next, clicked a selfie just as the volcano began to erupt.
“When I was looking through [my camera], the white smoke turned black, and after about three seconds, I heard a swooshing sound,” the man told RKK. “I was scared. I never thought I would encounter such a thing.” While it must have been a shocking experience for him, it’s safe to say that the selfie turned out epic, albeit he looks a bit surprised because of everything happening behind his back. How would you feel if you were leisurely taking a selfie and a volcano decided to erupt behind you at that very instant?! Probably, as astonished as this guy…
The unnamed sightseer quickly ran for safety behind a large rock as ash and volcanic debris started falling from the sky. Fortunately, he was able to hike down the mountain and made it safely out of the dangerous volcanic zone unharmed and with a legendary selfie!
Mount Aso began erupting on Wednesday around 11:40 am local Japanese time. The area is a famous tourist destination and thankfully all the 16 hikers that climbed up towards the mountain before the volcanic eruption safely made it back. It’s a miracle that no one was hurt or went missing as volcanic eruptions can be quite horrifying. Seems like Izanami was especially looking out for the Japanese selfie-taker herself.