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To understand the characteristics of long-term spatial and temporal variation in volcanism within a volcanic arc undergoing constant subduction since the cessation of back-arc opening, a detailed investigation of middle Miocene to Quaternary volcanism was carried out within the Chokai-Kurikoma area of the Northeast Japan Arc. This study involved a survey of available literature, with new K–Ar and fission track dating, and chemical analyses. Since 14 Ma, volcanism has occurred within the Chokai-Kurikoma area in specific areas with a ‘branch-like’ pattern, showing an east–west trend. This is in marked contrast to the widespread distribution of volcanism with a north–south trend in the 20–14 Ma period. The east–west- trending ‘branches’ are characterized by regular intervals (50–100 km) of magmatism along the arc. These branches since 14 Ma are remarkably discrepant to the general northwest–southeast or north-northeast–south-southwest direction of the crustal structures that have controlled Neogene to Quaternary tectonic movements in northeast Japan. In addition, evidence indicating clustering and focusing of volcanism into smaller regions since 14 Ma was verified. Comparison of the distribution and chemistry of volcanic rocks for three principal volcanic stages (11–8, 6–3 and 2–0 Ma) revealed that widely but sparsely distributed volcanic rocks had almost the same level of alkali and incompatible element concentrations throughout the area (with the exception of Zr) in the 11–8 Ma stage. However, through the 6–3 Ma stage to the 2–0 Ma stage, the concentration level in the back-arc cluster increased, while that in the volcanic front cluster remained almost constant. Therefore, the degree of partial melting has decreased, most likely with a simultaneous increase in the depth of magma segregation within the back-arc zone, whereas within the volcanic front zone, the conditions of magma generation have changed little over the three stages. In conclusion, the evolution of the thermal structure within the mantle wedge across the arc since 14 Ma has reduced the extent of ascending mantle diapirs into smaller fields. This has resulted in the tendency for the distribution of volcanism to become localized and concentrated into more specific areas in the form of clusters from the late Miocene to Quaternary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]