The 3,200 residents of Miyakejima, 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Tokyo, were all evacuated to mainland Japan after the 2000 eruption but were given the all-clear after tests determined the air was safe to breathe.

Wednesday's group of 62 islanders are among 2,000 people expected to return by the end of this year, a village official said.

"This is the first step for Miyakejima residents to return to normality. We have a lot of work ahead but are very excited to be back," said Tomoyoshi Yamagami, an official with the island government.

At an island port, government officials held a banner saying "Welcome back to Miyakejima" as villagers, some wearing gas masks, descended from a high-speed ferry.

"It smelled like Miyake," a 68-year-old woman told Jiji Press after returning to her home.

"When I was living as an evacuee, I used to sleep until eight o'clock in the morning. But once I got home, I felt very energetic," the woman said.

The evacuation order was lifted Tuesday by the Miyakejima government, with basic infrastructure including electricity, gas, telephone and water all in shape, Yamagami said.

But residents and tourists must carry gas masks at all times as a precaution against toxic gas.

Apart from fishing and farm industries, Miyakejima depends economically on tourism. Some 26 inns, six shops, four restaurants and a barber were already open on Wednesday, Yamagami said.

While the island has an airport, the village has yet to decide when to reopen it, he said. By a high-speed ferry, it takes about six hours to get to the island from Tokyo.

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