Tokachidake volcano (Hokkaido, Japan): alert level raised, eruption warning

Japanese authorities raised the alert level of the Tokachidake volcano to 2, as signs of volcanic unrest have recently increased. An access restriction is in place of 1 km radius around the crater left by the violent eruption in 1962 ("62-2 crater").
Volcanologist started to note an increase in seismic and fumarolic activity during 1995-2000 and again since 2006. In 2007, deformation of the volcanic edifice started to be noticed. Increased temperatures at depth were detected in 2008 using geomagnetic measurements.
In July 2012, JMA already raised the alert level from normal to 1, and reported increasing seismicity and incandescence (from hot gasses).
The last activity was a small eruption in 1988 and perhaps a phreatic explosion in 2004. Whether the current unrest will culminate in a new eruption in the near future is impossible to predict, but small to moderate-sized explosions, in particular if driven by overheated steam (phreatic) could occur any time, without warning.