The Sakurajima volcano, on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, erupts frequently. Ahead of that eruption, the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a risk stones could “rain down” on areas near the mountain base.
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He said rocks spewing out of the crater were expected to fall within the 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) zone from the crater.
The elevated level, however, stopped short of urging local residents to prepare for possible evacuation, according to the agency.
The volcano is just 30 miles from the Sendai nuclear plant, but officials says there’s no immediate cause for concern.
According to the Kyoto University volcanologist Kazuhiro Ishihara, the eruption, while dramatic, was average compared to Sakurajima’s past eruptions.
Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire” where a large proportion of the world’s quakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.
There have been no reports of anyone having been hurt by Sakurajima’s eruption so far.
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Following what they termed an “explosive eruption”, Japan’s Meteorological Agency raised the warning level on the peak, which experiences hundreds of small eruptions a year, to 3, meaning that people should not approach the mountain.
