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KAGOSHIMA Prefecture, Japan : Iceland, which is busy cleaning up volcanic ash, may want to take a leaf from Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture.
The area in southern Japan is half covered by volcanic ash, better known to the locals as shirasu.
In fact, there's so much of it, it can found in everything - from foundations of buildings, to tiled roofs and insulators.
More recently, its use has even extended to cosmetics.
There's plenty of evidence of past volcanic eruptions in Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture.
Aira Caldera was the site of an enormous explosion nearly 30,000 years ago - its crater filling with seawater to form Kinko Bay.
After that, a series of eruptions formed Sakurajima, a volcano that has become a symbol of Kagoshima.
Today, the old volcanic ash is used by companies making industrial materials.
Beautician Kayoko Matano also uses the soil - but for a different purpose.
She looks for sediment created 400,000 years ago. And she wants to keep its exact location a corporate secret.
"We dig and dig, like this, to find pure white ash. We look for the particle and our job is to dig there," said Matano, president of cosmetic maker Tengen.
Cosmetics are produced by combining the white ash with oil and sodium hydroxide.
The factory churns out 200 to 400 kilogrammes of skin care products each day.
Tengen's first successful product - a facial cleanser - made its debut in 1994. It's said to clean pores without being abrasive, and it has become very popular.
The company has since extended its range of products to include gels and face creams.
Last year in 2009, her products received a Monde-Selection award for quality. And with it, Matano believes the business has established a name for itself as a cosmetics maker.
"There are still indefinite ways of using the effect of the volcanic ash. I want to continue to study it, and contribute to promoting health and beauty," said Matano.
The company is trying to boost its business by selling to other Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China and Singapore. - CNA /ls
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