mountontake

Out of tragedy, a small ray of light and corporate kindness shines through today. The eruption of Japan's Mount Ontake on September 27th took many hikers by surprise, claiming at least 56 lives. One of them was 66-year-old photography enthusiast Kazuo Wakabayashi.

On September 27th, 2014, Mount Ontake in Japan erupted and began spewing ash. A popular destination for tourists and beginning hikers, several hundred people were reportedly on the volcano at the time. At least 56 of them didn't make it off.

Now, in the aftermath of the disaster, damaged cameras and phones are yielding photos that offer a glimpse into what things were like on the slopes just moments before the rumbling began.