Sakurajima Eruption Day

What Is Sakurajima Eruption Day?

Every January 12th is also "Sakurajima Eruption Day" (桜島の日, Sakurajima no Hi) in Japan. On January 12, 1914, the Taishō Great Eruption (大正大噴火, Taishō Daifunka) began at Sakurajima — one of the largest volcanic eruptions in modern Japanese history and the most powerful eruption recorded at Sakurajima in the historical record. The eruption, which lasted for weeks, poured out approximately 3.5 billion cubic meters of lava — enough to fill the strait separating Sakurajima from the Ōsumi Peninsula and permanently connect what had been an island to the mainland of Kagoshima Prefecture.

The 1914 Taishō Great Eruption

Sakurajima (桜島, "Cherry Blossom Island") is one of Japan's most active volcanoes, located in Kagoshima Bay in southern Kyushu. The January 12, 1914 eruption began with powerful explosions and ash falls that prompted the evacuation of approximately 20,000 residents. In the weeks that followed, massive lava flows poured from the mountain into the surrounding sea — dramatically changing the geography of the area. By the time the most intense phase ended, the 500-meter-wide channel separating Sakurajima from the Ōsumi Peninsula had been filled with hardened lava, permanently connecting the island to the peninsula.

Sakurajima Today

Sakurajima remains one of the world's most continuously active volcanoes, with hundreds of small eruptions per year. The communities of Kagoshima City, located just across the bay from the volcano, have adapted to living with volcanic activity as part of daily life — ash falls are a regular occurrence, residents keep umbrellas at hand, and children at schools near the volcano wear hard hats during outdoor activities. Kagoshima's relationship with Sakurajima — accepting the volcano's presence while maintaining civic life in its shadow — is one of the world's most striking examples of human adaptation to volcanic risk.

Volcanic Japan

Japan has 111 active volcanoes — approximately 7% of the world's total — a consequence of its location at the junction of four tectonic plates. Volcanic activity has given Japan its dramatic landscapes, abundant hot springs (onsen), and geothermal energy resources, while also posing significant hazards. Japan's volcanic monitoring network is among the world's most sophisticated, providing real-time data from seismometers, GPS sensors, and gas monitors at all major active volcanoes.

Fun Facts

• Connected by lava: The lava flow from the 1914 eruption that connected Sakurajima to the peninsula can be seen today as the low, rocky land bridge visible from the ferry that crosses between Kagoshima City and Sakurajima — a physical reminder of the eruption's extraordinary scale.
• Daikon radishes: Sakurajima's volcanic soil produces "Sakurajima daikon" (桜島大根) — enormous white radishes that are the world's largest, with individual specimens sometimes weighing over 30 kg — a remarkable example of volcanic soil's agricultural productivity.