<P> Mount Bandai, one of Japan's most noted volcanoes, rises above the north shore of Lake Inawashiro . Mount Bandai is formed of several overlapping stratovolcanoes, the largest of which is O - Bandai forming a complex volcano . O - Bandai volcano was constructed within a horseshoe - shaped caldera that formed about 40,000 years when an earlier volcano collapsed, forming the Okinajima debris avalanche, which traveled to the southwest and was accompanied by a plinian eruption . Four major phreatic eruptions have occurred during the past 5,000 years, two of them in historical time, in 806 and 1888 . Seen from the south, Bandai presents a conical profile, but much of the north side of the volcano is missing as a result of the collapse of Ko - Bandai volcano during the 1888 eruption, in which a debris avalanche buried several villages and formed several large lakes . </P> <P> Nearly a century ago, the north flank of Mount Bandai collapsed during an eruption quite similar to the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens . After a week of seismic activity, a large earthquake on July 15, 1888, was followed by a tremendous noise and a large explosion . Eyewitnesses heard about 15 to 20 additional explosions and observed that the last one was projected almost horizontally to the north . </P> <P> Mount Fuji is Japan's highest and most noted volcano . The modern postglacial stratovolcano is constructed above a group of overlapping volcanoes, remnants of which form irregularities on Fuji's profile . Growth of the younger Mount Fuji began with a period of voluminous lava flows from 11,000 to 8,000 years ago, accounting for four - fifths of the volume of the younger Mount Fuji . Minor explosive eruptions dominated activity from 8,000 to 4,500 years ago, with another period of major lava flows occurring from 4,500 to 3,000 years ago . Subsequently, intermittent major explosive eruptions occurred, with subordinate lava flows and small pyroclastic flows . Summit eruptions dominated from 3,000 to 2,000 years ago, after which flank vents were active . The extensive basaltic lava flows from the summit and some of the more than 100 flank cones and vents blocked drainage against the Tertiary Misaka Mountains on the north side of the volcano, forming the Fuji Five Lakes . The last eruption of this dominantly basaltic volcano in 1707 ejected andesitic pumice and formed a large new crater on the east flank . Some minor volcanic activity may occur in the next few years . </P> <P> The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo is the world's second - largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century . Successful predictions of the onset of the climactic eruption led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from the surrounding areas, saving many lives, but as the surrounding areas were severely damaged by pyroclastic flows, ash deposits, and later, lahars caused by rainwater remobilising earlier volcanic deposits, thousands of houses were destroyed . </P>

Which continents are part of the ring of fire