General Information

Sakurajima is 1,117 meters high, 80 square kilometers in area, and 52 kilometers in circumference. It has a north peak and a south peak. It is designated as part of Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park.

Sakurajima appeared about 26,000 years ago, and since then, 17 major eruptions have occurred. It used to be an island, as the name suggests, but during the major eruption of 1914 in the Taisho era, lava flowed into the sea, connecting the island with the Osumi Peninsula.

Every day, small eruptions happen.

In 2011, the number of eruptions was 996, the highest ever recorded.

As of 2015, about 4,600 people lived in Sakurajima.

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Why “sakura”?

There are three theories as to why:

One theory is that a ruler in the 10th century was named Tadanobu Sakurajima.

Another theory is that a major eruption once caused sakura leaves to float on the sea.

The third theory is that Konohanasakuya Hime, enshrined in a shrine in Sakurajima, had her name changed from Sakuya to Sakura.

The people of Kagoshima do not panic at the eruptions of Sakurajima. Eruptions are common occurrences for them. The first topic of their conversations is often the condition of fallen ash, much like discussing the weather.

In Kagoshima, the weather is divided into four categories: sunny, rainy, cloudy, and ashy. There is no snow.

Citizens are provided with plastic bags for ash disposal, called Koppai-Bukuro.pai-Bukuro.

Buried Torii Gate

In 1914, Sakurajima erupted massively, burying the Kurogami area with volcanic ash and pumice. The 3-meter-high torii gate of Kurokami Shrine was buried except for the top bar.

Yunohira Observatory

This is the highest viewpoint for the Sakurajima volcanoes, at 273 meters high.

Arimura Lava Observatory

This observatory is in the middle of the lava field. You can get a close look at many black lava rocks on the pathway to the observatory. From there, you can have a good view of the volcanoes with a cloud of steam, as well as a view of the shining Kinko Bay.

The Statue “The Shout”

This is the place where Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi held an all-night concert in 2004. More than 70,000 people attended the concert. The monument is made of lava, representing his powerful singing.

Sakurajima Ko Mikan & Sakurajima Daikon

Sakurajima-ko-mikan is the smallest mandarin orange, with a diameter of 4 to 5 cm. The trees also bear the most fruits, around 20,000. “Satsuma,” as in Satsuma mandarin, is the old samurai domain name of Kagoshima. The fruits were exported from the Satsuma domain in the late 19th century.

Sakurajima radishes grow to about 6 kg, sometimes reaching 30 kg. The heaviest ever recorded was 31.1 kg, a Guinness World Record. It is the biggest radish in the world. This enormous growth results from the volcanic ash soil of Sakurajima, which is soft and light enough to retain a lot of air and water.