The lake itself did not exist as late as the Meiji period in the area now known as the Inner Bandai Plateau, which was once the site of the village of Hibara. In 1888, Mount Bandai—which is located to the south—erupted, and part of the mountainside caved in as a result of the accompanying phreatic explosion; a large rockslide—and then mudslide—in the direction of Hibara destroyed the village. It was previously assumed that one large phreatic explosion had occurred, but the destruction of the mountain is now thought to have been caused by several medium-sized explosions.