Sakurajima

桜島さくらじまSakurajima

The smoking symbol of Kagoshima, a volcano that never sleeps.

Sakurajima (桜島) is one of the world's most active volcanoes, rising to 1,117 m at its northern peak Kitadake in Kinkō Bay opposite Kagoshima city. Once an island, it was joined to the Ōsumi Peninsula by lava in the great Taishō eruption of 1914, and small explosive eruptions with ashfall are part of daily life in Kagoshima.

Elevation: 1,117 mActive volcanoNational parkJapanese Geopark · 2013

National park: Kirishima-Kinkōwan National Park

Overview

Sakurajima rises directly across the water from Kagoshima city, only about 4 km from the port. Its three peaks – Kitadake (1,117 m), Nakadake and Minamidake – dominate the skyline, and the plume from the Minamidake and Shōwa craters is seen almost daily. Kagoshima has been compared with Naples and its Vesuvius, and the two cities are twinned.

Several thousand people live on Sakurajima, farming volcanic soils that produce the world's largest radish, the Sakurajima daikon, and the tiny Sakurajima mikan orange. Roads, schools and ports are built with eruptions in mind: concrete ash shelters and evacuation drills are part of life.

Landscape and formation

Sakurajima is a young stratovolcano that grew within the southern rim of the Aira caldera, which formed in a colossal eruption about 30,000 years ago; Kinkō Bay's northern basin is the flooded caldera. Sakurajima began erupting some 13,000 years ago and has built its cone through repeated lava flows and explosive eruptions.

Historic eruptions in 764, 1471, 1779 and 1914 poured lava onto the island and into the sea. The 1914 Taishō eruption produced about 1.5 km³ of lava, which closed the 400 m channel to Ōsumi. Since 1955 the Minamidake summit crater, and since 2006 the Shōwa crater on its eastern flank, have produced frequent explosive eruptions.

Highlights

Yunohira Observatory
湯之平展望所Yunohira tenbōjo
The highest point accessible to visitors, at about 373 m, facing the summit craters and Kagoshima city.
Nagisa lava trail
なぎさ遊歩道Nagisa yūhodō
A 3 km coastal path across the Taishō lava field near the ferry terminal, with a foot bath.
Kurokami buried torii
黒神埋没鳥居Kurokami maibotsu torii
A shrine gate buried to its crossbar by pumice and ash in 1914, preserved as a memorial.
Arimura lava observatory
有村溶岩展望所Arimura yōgan tenbōjo
Walkways over the Shōwa lava on the south side, close to the active craters.

Ecology

Lava flows of different ages – from 764 to 1946 – show plant succession: lichens and mosses on the youngest lava, Japanese black pine and silver grass on older flows, then evergreen broadleaf forest.

Flora

Japanese black pine
クロマツkuromatsu
The first tree to colonise the Taishō lava.
Sakurajima daikon
桜島大根Sakurajima daikon
A giant round radish grown on volcanic soil, among the heaviest in the world.
Sakurajima komikan
桜島小みかんSakurajima komikan
A small, sweet mandarin cultivated on the island.

Fauna

Dolphins of Kinkō Bay
ミナミハンドウイルカminami-handō-iruka
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins frequent the bay around the volcano.

Culture

Sakurajima is the emblem of Kagoshima and of the former Satsuma domain; Saigō Takamori and the men of the Meiji Restoration grew up facing it. Its name is said to derive from the goddess Konohanasakuya-hime, also worshipped on Fuji, or from a local official. The Taishō eruption became a turning point in Japanese disaster science: warnings from residents were ignored by the local weather station, a lesson recorded on a memorial at the Higashi-Sakurajima school.

Sakurajima Visitor Center
桜島ビジターセンターSakurajima bijitā sentā
Exhibits on eruptions and life with the volcano, near the ferry port.
Tsukiyomi Jinja
月讀神社Tsukiyomi Jinja
A shrine by the ferry terminal, rebuilt after the 1914 eruption buried the original.

History

c. 30,000 years ago
The Aira caldera forms in a huge eruption.
764
Tenpyō-hōji eruption creates new islands in the bay.
1471
Bunmei eruption.
1779
An'ei eruption; new islands form north-east of Sakurajima.
1914
Taishō eruption: 58 dead; lava joins Sakurajima to the Ōsumi Peninsula.
1955
Continuous explosive activity begins at Minamidake.
2013
Sakurajima-Kinkōwan Geopark is certified.

Through the seasons

Spring

Mild weather; ash usually falls on the eastern side, away from the city.

Summer

Southerly winds often carry ash over Kagoshima city; daily ash forecasts are part of the weather report.

Autumn

Clear views of the plume from the city; the daikon harvest begins in winter.

Winter

Sakurajima daikon are harvested from December to February; clear skies show the volcano at its best.

Routes and trails

Nagisa lava trail
A 3 km coastal walk over the 1914 lava from the ferry terminal, about 1 hour; easy.
Island loop by car or bicycle
A 36 km road around the island passing lava fields, the buried torii and observation points; half a day by car.
Yunohira Observatory
By bus or car from the ferry port, the closest safe viewpoint of the summit craters.

Practical notes

Climbing is prohibited. Restricted zones around the craters depend on the current alert level; check the Japan Meteorological Agency and Kagoshima city.
Carry sunglasses or goggles and a mask on ash days.
The ferry from Kagoshima port runs frequently, day and night; Kagoshima-Chūō station is reached by Kyūshū Shinkansen.

Frequently asked questions

Can Sakurajima be climbed?

No. Climbing above the lower slopes is prohibited because of continuous explosive activity. Visitors can reach observation points such as Yunohira at about 373 m and walk the lava trails along the coast.

How is Sakurajima reached?

By the Sakurajima Ferry from Kagoshima port, which crosses in about 15 minutes, or by road around Kinkō Bay via the lava isthmus on the Ōsumi side.

How do people live with the ashfall?

Kagoshima publishes daily ash-fall forecasts, and residents collect ash in special yellow bags provided by the city. Ash shelters stand along the island's roads.

What happened in 1914?

The Taishō eruption began on 12 January 1914 with huge explosions and lava flows; 58 people died, lava filled the strait on the east side and joined the island to the mainland.

Sources

1.日本の主な山岳標高 (opens in a new tab) — 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
2.火山登山者向けの情報提供ページ（桜島） (opens in a new tab) — 気象庁 (Japan Meteorological Agency)
3.霧島錦江湾国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)
4.日本ジオパークネットワーク (opens in a new tab) — 日本ジオパークネットワーク (Japanese Geoparks Network)