Mt. Usu (Hokkaido, 42°32’N, 140°50’E) is a volcano with regular eruptions in every 20-50 years. The 1977-78 eruptions destroyed the vegetation on the summit areas enclosed by the caldera rim. The present research used remote sensing data to assess succession stages across the affected area. In order to follow changes of different land cover types, a chronosequence was established based on aerial and satellite images from 1995, 2000, 2006, 2014 and 2015 . In addition to remote analysis, field observations were also carried out during 2015-2016 to validate the results. Remote analysis was carried out using NDVI, Tasseled Cap and spectral heterogeneity analyses. All indices showed gradual increase in vegetation cover. The spatial patterns of vegetation patches indicate that vegetative reproduction played a main role in the revegetation process, while seed dispersal contributed to a lesser extent. Steep areas were slower to revegetate, due probably to ground-surface instability and difficulties in seed establishment. The results of the study help to better understand primary succession promoted by the dynamics of plant reproductive strategies.