Sakurajima

桜島

An active volcano in Kagoshima Bay that erupts frequently. A 15-minute ferry ride takes you to the island, where you can see lava fields, soak your feet in hot springs, and climb to a lookout point.

Sakurajima is the symbol of Kagoshima and one of Japan's most active volcanoes. At 1,117 meters above sea level, its Minamidake summit erupts hundreds of small times every year, sending up gray columns of smoke. It was once an island, but lava from the 1914 Taisho eruption joined it to the Osumi Peninsula on the east, forming a land connection. The ferry from Kagoshima Port to Sakurajima takes about 15 minutes and runs 24 hours a day. One way costs about ¥250, paid at the exit after boarding. The udon noodles served on board at “Yabukin” are a local specialty.

After landing, here are my recommendations:

1. Sakurajima Visitor Center and “Lava Beach Park,” which has a free footbath about 100 meters long facing Kagoshima Bay.

2. Yunohira Observatory, at 373 meters above sea level, the highest point most visitors can reach. From here you can see the Minamidake summit up close and the smoke rising from the crater.

3. Kurokami Torii Buried by Ash, a torii gate buried by volcanic ash from the Taisho eruption, with only its top still visible.

4. Arimura Lava Observatory.

The “Sakurajima Island View” sightseeing bus (a one-day pass costs about ¥500) loops around the main sights. You can also rent a bicycle or an electric scooter.

Tips: Entry is restricted near the summit area (a 2-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater). When eruptions send out more ash, wear a mask. Local specialties include Sakurajima Daikon, said to be the largest radish in the world, and Sakurajima Komikan, said to be the smallest mandarin orange in the world.

Sakurajima

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby