TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Volcanic tremors and earthquakes emanating from Mt. Asama, which straddles Gunma and Nagano prefectures in east Japan, subsided Thursday after the volcano erupted Wednesday night, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

    As of 9 a.m.(2400 GMT) Thursday, the number of volcanic quakes dropped to three from 183 Wednesday. Crustal alteration stopped within an hour after the eruption and the mountain fire has died out.

    But the agency warned that the volcano could again become active and urged the public to remain alert about volcanic activity.

    At a news conference Thursday, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said the government will monitor the volcano for possible eruptions, though there have yet been no signs of a massive eruption.

    An observation team, which the agency sent to the eruption siteto survey the range of volcanic cinders and ash in the area, confirmed pumice at around 4 kilometers northeast of the crater. The largest piece of pumice measured up to about 8 centimeters in diameter.

    With tons of lava flowing down the western slope of the mountain, the eruption is the first in Japan on such a scale sinceApril 1983. No casualties have been reported.

    Local governments are checking the scale of damage, the agency said, adding that some farm products in the area, such as cabbage,have been damaged.

    About 40 residents and tourists in a village at the foot of thevolcano, who had evacuated to public facilities Wednesday night, returned. An middle school and a kindergarten in the area were closed as roads to campus were closed.

    The volcano is located about 150 km northwest of Tokyo. The upscale summer resort town of Karuizawa is on the mountain's southern slope. Enditem