Volcano · Japan
Sakurajima
Explodes hundreds of times a year beside the city of Kagoshima.
Status right now
No current reports
Sakurajima is not in the latest Smithsonian weekly report or the GDACS volcano alerts. That usually means it is quiet, but not every change is reported straight away. For official alerts, follow the local volcano observatory.
Checked 4 Nov 2026, 22:39 UTC.
Key facts
- Country
- Japan
- Region
- Asia
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Summit
- 1,117 m (3,665 ft)
- Coordinates
- 31.593° N, 130.657° E
- Smithsonian number
- 282080
What kind of volcano is it?
Sakurajima is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano is a tall, steep cone built from layers of lava, ash and rock from many eruptions. Its sticky magma traps gas, so eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns and fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
Eruption history
| Date | VEI | Deaths | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sept 2013 | – | – | – |
| 17 Jun 1974 | 3 | 3 | – |
| 9 Aug 1974 | 3 | 5 | – |
| 13 Oct 1955 | 3 | – | – |
| Jan 1946 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 12 Jan 1914 | 4 | 63 | tsunami, earthquake |
| 1797 | 2 | – | tsunami |
| 11 Apr 1781 | 4 | 38 | tsunami |
| 9 Feb 1780 | 4 | – | – |
| 31 Oct 1780 | – | – | tsunami |
| 9 Sept 1780 | 4 | – | tsunami |
| 8 Nov 1779 | 4 | 153 | – |
| 3 Nov 1471 | 5 | – | – |
| 20 Jul 766 | 3 | – | tsunami, earthquake |
| 764 | 4 | 80 | – |
15 significant eruptions near Sakurajima in NOAA's Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database, which lists eruptions that caused deaths, damage or a tsunami, or were VEI 6 or larger. VEI is the Volcanic Explosivity Index, from 0 to 8.
Nearby volcanoes
- AsoJapan · 149 km
- SuwanosejimaJapan · 235 km
- FujiJapan · 857 km
- AsamaJapan · 901 km
- Ahyi SeamountUnited States (Mariana Is.) · 1,896 km
- PinatuboPhilippines · 2,108 km
Not an official warning service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities.