Sakurajima 桜島 – Kagoshima – 3/10/2025
Sakurajima is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes and a prominent symbol of Kagoshima in Kyushu. Though its name means cherry blossom island, a powerful 1914 eruption produced lava flows that connected it to the mainland, turning it into a peninsula. It has been in a state of nearly constant eruption since 1955, often producing ash plumes multiple times a day. Yet thousands of residents live closely alongside it. While I am not going to tell you how to get to Sakurajima is figuring it out as part of the experience and excitement of travel, Tokyo is here and Sakurajima is in the far south of Kyushu Island. Sakurima sits on the rim of the colossal Ayra caldera which is thought to initially exploded around 30,000 years ago. The magma chamber below Sakurajima feeds Kirishimama volcanic group specifically Shinmoake. While genuine hiking trails up the volcano’s slopes are restricted due to its activity, I was able to drive the scenic loop around the peninsula, stopping at several excellent observation points to take in the views. I caught the ferry from Kagoshima in the morning to begin the drive and finish my circuit, returning by ferry in the early afternoon. Here is the video compilation and images of my experience as I headed further south in my quest to hike Kaandaki the following day. station 42. chicken. I like heat. Yeah. Come on. much better. Overall quick day and doing the circuit around Sakurajima. I did see many people renting bikes and ebikes to do the circuit around the island. However, my day was fairly quick given I was driving in a van. My next destination is Ida Cardau from here which will be in my next video.
My Experience: First and foremost, at least from what I could find, there are no hiking routes on the mountain itself for either AllTrails or Yamap. There are places where you can rent bikes and ride around Sakurajima or simply just drive. There are really just a few places to see if you are interested in site related to the volcano itself…
1. Yunohira Observation Deck 湯之平展望所
2. Hakamagoshi-Karasujima Lava Trail 溶岩なぎさ遊歩道
3. Karasujima Observatory 烏島展望所
4. Nojiri-kawa Observation Deck 野尻川展望所
5. Arimura Lava Observation Deck 有村溶岩展望所
6. Kurokami Buried Shrine Gate 黒神埋没鳥居
7. Lava Field From the Eruption During the Showa Period 黒神ビュースポット (昭和溶岩地帯)
8. Remains of Residence of feudal lord Shimazu Yoshihiro 島津義弘蟄居跡
My write-up with LINKS is here: https://volcanicjapan.com/my-experience-guide/f/%E6%A1%9C%E5%B3%B6—sakurajima—3102025
In my case, I have a van but stayed in Kagoshima the night previously at Richmond Hotel Kagoshima Kinseicho リッチモンドホテル鹿児島金生町 that I had booked through booking.com and turned out to be one of the best deals to room ratio that I have ever had.
In the morning I checked out fairly early, grabbed some coffee then took the first ferry over to the island then pretty much followed the route 1-8 above. I did buy a bunch of souvenirs from the lady at the Arimura Observation Deck area where there are a couple small souvenir shops by the road. I also stopped at Sakurajima Coffee & Bakery (桜島コーヒー＆ベーカリー) on the way out as well. Took ferry back across to Kagoshima, then drove down to Lake Ikeda from there where I slept in van at Unagi Onsen area that evening.
Demographics:
Volcano No.- K20
Volcano name – Sakurajima
Geologic code – Q3m
Main activity period – Late Pleistocene – Holocene
Activity period / recent activity – From 22,000 yBP.
Latest eruption – AD 2025
Volcano type – Composite (compound) volcano
Representative rock type – Intermediate
Main rock type – Andesite, Dacite
Height above sea level – 1117 m (Kitadake)
Source – Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ)
Record of eruption & disaster: eruptive history https://gbank.gsj.jp/volcano/Quat_Vol/volcano_data/K20.html
Source – Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ)
About: Sakurajima (Japanese: 桜島, lit. ‘Cherry Blossom Island’) is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The lava flows of the 1914 eruption connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsula. It is the most active volcano in Japan.
As of April 2021, the volcanic activity still continues, dropping volcanic ash on the surroundings. Earlier eruptions built the white sand highlands in the region. On September 13, 2016, a team of experts from Bristol University and the Sakurajima Volcano Research Centre in Japan suggested that the volcano could have a major eruption within 30 years; since then two eruptions have occurred.
Sakurajima is a stratovolcano. Its summit has three peaks, Kita-dake (northern & highest peak 1,117 m (3,665 ft)), Naka-dake (central peak) and Minami-dake (southern peak) which is active now.
Geological history – Sakurajima is in the 25 km (15 mi)-wide Aira caldera, which formed in an enormous “blow-out-and-cave-in” eruption around 22,000 years ago. Several hundred cubic kilometers of ash and pumice were ejected, causing the magma chamber underneath the erupting vents to collapse. The resulting caldera is over 20 km (12 mi) across. Tephra fell as far as 1,000 km (620 mi) from the volcano. Sakurajima is a modern active vent of the same Aira caldera volcano.
Volcanic activity at Kita-dake ended around 4,900 years ago: later eruptions have been centered on Minami-dake. Since 2006, activity has centered on Showa crater, to the east of the summit of Minami-dake.
Geological Summary: The Aira caldera in the northern half of Kagoshima Bay contains the post-caldera Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan’s most active. Eruption of the voluminous Ito pyroclastic flow accompanied formation of the 17 x 23 km caldera about 22,000 years ago. The smaller Wakamiko caldera was formed during the early Holocene in the NE corner of the caldera, along with several post-caldera cones. The construction of Sakurajima began about 13,000 years ago on the southern rim and built an island that was joined to the Osumi Peninsula during the major explosive and effusive eruption of 1914. Activity at the Kitadake summit cone ended about 4,850 years ago, after which eruptions took place at Minamidake. Frequent eruptions since the 8th century have deposited ash on the city of Kagoshima, located across Kagoshima Bay only 8 km from the summit. The largest recorded eruption took place during 1471-76. Source – Global Volcanism Program
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