Japan’s Mt. Shinmoedake Volcano Erupts, Sending Plumes of Ash 5,500 Meters High

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:05 JST, August 28, 2025

Plumes of ash rose 5,500 meters from the crater of Mt. Shinmoedake after it erupted early Thursday morning.

The volcano, located in the Kirishima mountain range that straddles Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, last saw an eruption on this scale on July 3, according to the Fukuoka regional headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Volcanic ash is drifting southwest from the crater and heavy ashfall is expected in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, and Kobayashi, Miyazaki Prefecture.

The July 3 eruption saw ash plumes rise to 5,000 meters for the first time in seven years, causing numerous flight cancellations at Kagoshima Airport in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture.