The volcanic island of Sakurajima with its active volcano is undoubtedly one of the most impressive sights on Kyushu in southern Japan. It’s across of Kagoshima and very easily accessible by public transport, making it the perfect spot for a day trip.
How to get there
To get to Sakurajima you have to go by either local train or the Shinkansen to Kagoshima-Chuo Station. The station is a few kilometres away from the ferry terminal. That’s why you have to change to a train to Kagoshima Station. But these trains run infrequently, so your best option is to take a tram and get off at Suizokukanguchi. When I visited Sakurajima, I had luck and catched a local train to Kagoshima Station. From the station you have to walk a kilometre before you arrive at the ferry terminal. There’s also the option of walking to the terminal which I did on my way back from Sakurajima to the station as I wanted to see a little of the city. You have to count in roughly an hour for the walk.
When you arrive at the ferry terminal you have to go upstairs to the ticket counter. The one-way fare is 160 Yen and you can go there anytime, because the ferry runs frequently day and night. The view from the ferry to the island and the city is amazing and one of the best views you can get of the island. So prepare your camera and get on the top deck. I took many photos myself during the ferry ride and at some point I heard some thunder in the distance. It was actually the volcano which had a minor eruption and started to throw out volcanic ash.
Getting around
Sakurajima offers a tourist loop bus which runs every 30 minutes between the major sights on the island. You can get a day pass for 500 Yen at the tourist office in the ferry terminal. Don’t make the same mistake as me and go to a bus station first. There’s no ticket office and you can’t buy the ticket on the bus. When you plan to take the bus only once or twice you can also pay for a single ride on the bus. You have to take a card when entering and then show it to the bus driver before you leave the bus. The fare depends on the distance you’ve traveled. I personally used the bus quite often and it was worth it to get the day pass.
Be aware that the loop bus only covers a part of the island. For the southern, northern , or eastearn part of the island you have to change to local buses which run infrequently.
The sights of Sakurajima
The main sights are concentrated on the western side of the island. It’s also the part I visited, so I concentrate on them.
My first spot I visited is Karasujima Observatory. It offers a great view of the volcano with many strange-looking lava stone formations. There’s also a short trail which leads through these formations. Overall, it’s a minor sight and you don’t need much more than 10-15 minutes. Except you plan to get a picnic when you visit the island, because on the observation deck are big tables with banks. You just have to be careful not to eat too much ash which is all over the island. Even on the streets in Kagoshima I saw some volcanic ash.
The next point I visited is the most famous observatory to see the volcano, Yunohira Observatory. It’s the closest observation deck to the crater with a distance of 2.5km. You shouldn’t have a weak stomach as the ride to the observatory on 373m is very winding with many serpentines.
The view up there is simply breathtaking. You have a great view of the western part of the island and the city of Kagoshima across the bay. When you’re lucky you can witness a minor eruption up there. It happened to me shortly before I wanted to return to the town by bus. I heard another loud thunder and immediately saw the ash coming out of the volcano. In these moments you can truly feel the power of the nature.
After my visit at the two observatories I took the bus back to the city to get some lunch. I walked through the village where the locals live, but didn’t found a single restaurant there. So in the end I had to eat at a supermarket which is located in the south of the ferry terminal. The choices could be better in the summer months as I visited the island in December.
Being full and having eaten my ramen I decided to go to Nagisa Lava Trail for a short hike. To get there I got off at Sakurajima Visitor Centre and walked to the foot baths in Nagisa Park. There you can bath your feet in the hot spring water and relax from a long day. I didn’t try them out and went pass them to the the trail which starts next to them. The trail is three kilometres and very well maintained. It’s an easy hike along the coast, but you should still wear closed shoes which can get dirty. The trail is full of ash and your shoes can be very dirty in the end. Along the trail you can see much beautiful secnery and great views of the ocean. There are also many signs on the trail showing the distance to either end. They can be motivating or demotivating depending on your tiredness.
My final spot before I visited Yunohiro Observatory a second time is Akamizu Observatory Square. It’s famous for the statue of a huge music festival which took place a few years ago. Besides the statue, you can enjoy views of the ocean from there.
The end of the day
I took the second last bus back to the ferry terminal which included another stop at Yunohira Observatory. From there I saw how the sun slowly faded away, it was time to leave the island. I recommend to see the island during sunset. When there’s ash above the volcano it gets illuminated by the sunlight and starts to shine red. An amazing scene.
It was already dark when I arrived at the ferry terminal in Kagoshima, and I spontaneously decided to walk through to the city to get a glimpse of it. As in many Japanese cities there’s a roofed pedestrian area with many different restaurants and shops. Kagoshima also has a very interesting history in being one of the key locations during the Meiji Restauration and once housing many pirates. The square in front of Kagoshima-Chuo Station is a very lively area with a big ferris wheel on the roof of a shopping mall next to the station.
