Sakurajima, Volcano in Kagoshima, Japan
Sakurajima is an active volcano in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan, that was an island until 1914 when a large eruption connected it to the mainland via a lava flow. It has three peaks, and the southern one is the most active today, producing small eruptions and ash clouds several times a day.
Sakurajima has been active for centuries, but the 1914 eruption was the most consequential, sending lava flows large enough to permanently join the former island to the Osumi Peninsula. In the decades that followed, the volcano remained active, and the Showa Crater on the southern flank became another eruption point from the 1950s onward.
Near the ferry port, there is a long foot bath that is free to use, with a direct view of the volcano and the bay. Many visitors stop there to soak their feet while looking across the water at Kagoshima city on the other side.
A ferry from Kagoshima Port brings visitors to the island in about 15 minutes, and boats run throughout the day. Renting a car is the most convenient way to explore the coastal road around the volcano, as bus services do not complete the full loop.
In Kurokami, on the north side of the volcano, an old shrine gate was buried up to its middle by ash from the 1914 eruption and is still visible today. It was deliberately left in place as a reminder of that eruption's force.
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