Currently, I am leading a private photo workshop with a volcanologist, who is a close friend and return client, he wanted me to join him on the Hokkaido photo tour of his visit this time around.  But I am about to lead my cross country autumn leaves photo tour and I could not accompany him and his team to Hokkaido, so I have my Hokkaido, support group team members standing by for their arrival.  Today we are in a volcanic gas field around the Mt. Fuji region, way off the tourist path.  Most days this field is safe and the steam is simply water steam vapor, harmless to humans.  But today the smell around the field was extra strong and our eyes started to burn, a 100% positive we were not simply dealing with water steam but toxic gases so we had to wear “SCBA," oxygen tanks, and measure ground temps every other step. Annually there are about 500 Deaths due to volcanic hazards.  Dozens of deaths could be easily avoided as it’s not a good idea to walk around a volcanic field without knowing if the field is safe and free of toxic volcanic gases such as HF and HCI “Hydrogen fluoride gas.”  Most volcanic Vents are harmless and are simply water vapor which produce hot springs , and snow monkeys use to survive cold winters nights in Japan.  The toxic gas that contain HF and HCI you will know quickly as your eyes start to burn, and you know it’s time to get out.  Also, anyone who knows me, knows I love hot springs and bathing in them, and I enjoy the exotic and rare milky white onsen’s.  And believe it or not, there are several hot springs I will never use.  First are hot springs with a ph value below 2. When you enter hot springs with a ph value below 2, your skin should warm you, and you should feel pins and needles all over your body, also you could temporally damage your skin and look like a boiled lobster and itch all over, that is if you have sensitive skin, which I do.  And yes, it happened to me, but just once, and my skin returned to normal in a couple of days.  The second type of hot springs I avoid are those that are close to an active volcano.  Again believe it or not, I have seen hot springs hotels and businesses open next to a highly active volcano.  I know of only one hot springs where customers went in alive but, because the windows were closed and the steam was so heavy, sadly for some reason they could not smell or feel the toxic gas mixture, and it was game over.  Every winter I visit outside this hot springs for photography but I will never soak in these hot springs, it’s just to creepy, knowing what I know. But these two cases are extremely rare, while in Japan you should enjoy hot springs, and don’t forget to wash before you enter, and due to COVID don’t talk. Also, one  god thing about hot springs in the age of COVID is steam is heavy and its unlikely you can contract COVID in a hot springs, but you could in a change room, but 99% of hotels and hot sprigs check your temperature before you enter.