The only known historical eruption of the volcano is recorded in the Shoku Nihon Kōki. According to the document, In 837, the Naruko volcano suddenly began to tremble for several days and finally exploded, spouting hot water which ran like a river. The people were surprised and reported this event to the imperial court, which enshrined a hot spring god. This event is believed to be a relatively small phreatic eruption that resulted in the collapse of a lava dome. This also led to the present-day name of the volcano, which is said to be derived from narugō (鳴郷) or naru koe no sato (鳴る声の郷), which literally means the place with a trembling sound.