Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and the undisputed symbol of Kagoshima. Once a separate island, the 1914 eruption caused a massive lava flow that connected it to the Ōsumi Peninsula, technically turning it into a peninsula. However, the ferry from Kagoshima remains the main access route, providing frequent connections between the city and the volcanic island in about 15 minutes. Characterized by rugged landscapes and frequent eruptions, the (former) island of Sakurajima offers hiking trails, scenic viewpoints, and several areas where visitors can witness the power of nature up close. The volcanic activity also fuels natural onsen, perfect for relaxing after a day of exploration. Visiting Sakurajima is a unique experience for those who want to admire an active volcano up close and explore one of Japan’s most breathtaking landscapes.
Things to see and things to do in Sakurajima
Today, around 5,000 people live on the island, mainly concentrated in the western, southern, and northern parts, near the ferry port connecting to Kagoshima. The eastern coast, on the other hand, is wild and largely uninhabited, as is the island’s interior, which is dominated by the volcano. Many visitors limit their exploration to the western part of the island, where most attractions are located and which can be easily explored without a private vehicle using the Sakurajima Island View Bus. To explore the rest of the island, renting a car or at least a bicycle is necessary.
Sakurajima Volcano and Observation Points
Sakurajima Volcano is one of Japan’s most active, featuring several craters, with two main ones currently active:
Minamidake is the highest crater and has been active for centuries, frequently releasing smoke plumes and ash. It is considered Sakurajima’s main crater and continues to exhibit intermittent eruptive activity.
Showa, on the other hand, formed relatively recently in 1939. At certain times, it was the volcano’s most active crater, with near-daily eruptions between 2006 and 2016. In recent years, activity has shifted back to Minamidake.
Since the entire area around the craters is closed to the public for safety reasons, the best way to observe eruptions is by visiting one of the scenic viewpoints around the island. On the western side, the closest to the port are the Karasujima and Yunohira observatories. In the southern part of the island, there is the Arimura observatory. In the eastern part of the island...
View of the erupting volcano from the island
Western Part of Sakurajima
Today, Sakurajima is home to around 5,000 residents, mainly concentrated in the western, northern, and southern areas near the ferry port to Kagoshima. The eastern coast, on the other hand, is wild and almost completely uninhabited, while the island's interior, dominated by the active volcano, is inaccessible.
Most visitors only explore the western part, where the main tourist attractions are located and where it is easy to get around without a private vehicle, thanks to the Sakurajima Island View Bus, which follows a circular route covering the major points of interest.
For those wishing to explore the rest of the island, including the wilder landscapes of the eastern coast, renting a car or a bicycle is necessary, with rental options available at certain locations. Sakurajima is a unique place where untouched nature, small settlements, and imposing volcanic landscapes coexist, offering a truly special experience for those who choose to explore it in depth. However, for those who want to venture further and discover the island’s lesser-known landscapes, explore the eastern coast, and reach more remote areas, renting a car or at least a bicycle is essential to move around freely and fully appreciate Sakurajima’s raw beauty.
Sakurajima Visitor Center
(opening hours 9 AM - 5 PM)
Inside this facility, you will find a souvenir shop selling local products, as well as exhibitions and information about the volcano, past eruptions, and the island's ecosystem.
Magma Onsen
(entry fee 390¥, opening hours 10 AM - 9 PM)
These public hot spring baths, which also include a sauna, are connected to the Rainbow Sakurajima Hotel (see below) but are open to everyone, not just hotel guests. You can relax in a hot bath with a panoramic sea view, but be aware that the water is very hot, so most people do not soak for more than 15-20 minutes. A short stop at the end of a day exploring the island before returning to Kagoshima could be ideal. Bring your own towel if you don't want to rent one on-site (200¥), while soap and shampoo for pre-bath washing are provided free of charge.
Magma Onsen
Nagisa Park
(free entry, opening hours: 9 AM – sunset)
Nagisa Park is a coastal park just a short walk from the ferry terminal, perfect for a relaxing break after a day in Sakurajima. Its main attraction is a free public foot bath (ashiyu), where visitors can soak their feet in the island’s naturally hot spring water. This spot offers a peaceful atmosphere and spectacular views: on one side, you can admire the sea and Kagoshima’s coastline, while on the other, the majestic Sakurajima volcano. It is an ideal stop to unwind and enjoy the scenery.
Nagisa Park, a free-access foot onsen
Kagoshima’s coastline at sunset as seen from Sakurajima
Nagisa Trail
The Nagisa Trail is a scenic path that starts from the Sakurajima Visitor Center and stretches for about 3 km through an area completely covered by solidified lava from the 1914 eruption. It’s a great option for those who want to explore the island’s volcanic landscape on foot or by bicycle, enjoying the striking contrast between the sea and the volcano. Before the 1914 eruption, part of the current path was occupied by the sea, while another section was a small island separate from Sakurajima, called Karasujima. However, the massive lava flow from the eruption completely engulfed the island, connecting it to Sakurajima and drastically changing the coastline’s geography. At the end of the trail, you reach the Karasujima observation point, named after the now-vanished islet. This location is particularly interesting for observing the natural regeneration process: the lava fields, left untouched by humans, are gradually turning into forests, with vegetation reclaiming the volcanic soil over a century later.
Nagisa Trail
Tsukiyomi Shrine
The Tsukiyomi Shrine is a small Shinto shrine located in the northern part of Sakurajima. It is rarely visited by tourists but holds cultural significance for the local population. Dedicated to Tsukuyomi, the moon deity in Japanese mythology, the shrine is surrounded by a peaceful atmosphere, nestled in nature, and offering a scenic view of the volcano’s slopes.
Shizenkyoryu Park (Dinosaur Park)
The Dinosaur Park of Sakurajima is located on a hill not far from the ferry terminal, making it easily accessible on foot. The park features large dinosaur statues, making it a fun destination for families with children. It also includes various play areas, including a massive 12-meter-long slide that both kids and adults can enjoy. Thanks to its elevated position, the park also offers stunning panoramic views of the bay and the surrounding landscape. In spring, the park becomes even more picturesque when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
At the top of the Dinosaur Park slide before taking the plunge
Sakurajima Island View Bus
The Sakurajima Island View Bus is a convenient sightseeing bus that departs directly from the Sakurajima ferry port and takes visitors to the main scenic spots in the western part of the island in about an hour, including stops. The route includes three main observation points:
Karasujima - a viewpoint offering a striking view of vast lava fields that have gradually been reclaimed by vegetation over time, as well as a distant view of the imposing volcano.
Akamizu - best known for the statue of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, a famous Japanese singer from Kagoshima Prefecture. The statue commemorates a historic concert held here in 2004, attended by over 75,000 people—an incredible number considering the remote location.
Yunohira - the highest accessible point on the island (see below).
The bus makes short stops at each of these scenic viewpoints, allowing passengers to step out, take photos, and enjoy the landscape. The bus runs approximately every hour, offering a quick and practical tour of Sakurajima. Ticket prices vary depending on the route, but a one-day pass costs 500¥, allowing unlimited hop-on, hop-off access along the route. This option is perfect for those who want to spend more time at a particular attraction and catch the next bus about an hour later.
Map of the Sakurajima Island View Bus route
Karasujima and Akamizu
Yunohira
The Yunohira Observatory is the highest accessible viewpoint on Sakurajima, located at 373 meters above sea level. From here, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of the massive volcanic crater, which is only 2.5 km away, making it one of the closest safe observation points for volcanic activity. The panorama extends beyond just the volcano: from Yunohira, you can admire the entire Kinko Bay, with the city of Kagoshima in the background, and on clear days, the view stretches all the way to the Ōsumi Peninsula. The Sakurajima Island View Bus stops here, giving passengers 15 minutes to take photos and enjoy the scenery. However, Yunohira can also be reached by car (a 10-15 minute drive from the port area) or by electric bicycle. Getting there with a regular bicycle can be challenging due to the steep incline unless you’re in good shape. The site features informational panels about the island’s geology and some benches for visitors to rest and take in the view.
Yunohira, the highest observation point on the island
The rest of Sakurajima
Exploring the rest of Sakurajima is not easy if you rely on public transportation. Although some local bus lines reach other areas of the island, none of them complete a full loop, making travel somewhat inconvenient. Additionally, bus schedule information is often difficult to find in English, and services run at very low frequencies. Some tourists venture to Kurokami Shrine using public transport and then return to the port. While this is possible, it requires careful planning, as there are only a few available departures.
If you want to explore the island more thoroughly and without time constraints, the best way is to rent a car, an electric bicycle, or, for those in good shape, a traditional bike, allowing you to move around freely and discover even the less-visited areas.
Shirahama Onsen Center
(entry 390¥, opening hours 10 AM - 9 PM, closed on the 10th of each month)
Shirahama Onsen is a small public hot spring located on the northern side of Sakurajima, an area rarely visited by tourists. This onsen is mainly frequented by island residents, and foreign visitors are uncommon, making it an authentic experience for those looking to immerse themselves in local life. The thermal waters originate from underground sources over 1,000 meters deep, are brownish in color, and have a salty composition. There are several baths at different temperatures, including a small outdoor bath and a jacuzzi. The entrance fee does not include towels, soap, or shampoo, which locals usually bring from home. However, if needed, these can be purchased at the reception. If you are in the northern part of Sakurajima and want to experience an authentic and peaceful onsen away from mass tourism, Shirahama Onsen is a great choice.
Arimura
The Arimura Observation Point is a scenic viewpoint located in the southern part of Sakurajima, on a hill that was formed during the 1914 eruption. The landscape here is characterized by black lava fields, volcanic rock formations, and recovering vegetation, creating a wild and striking atmosphere. The viewpoint offers a privileged view of the Minamidake crater.
Arimura Beach
Arimura Beach is located on the southern part of Sakurajima and is famous for the unique opportunity to create your own onsen by digging into the volcanic sand. Due to the island’s geothermal activity, hot water naturally rises just below the surface, allowing visitors to enjoy a personalized hot spring bath right by the sea. To try this experience, it is recommended to visit the Sakurajima Visitor Center before heading to the beach. Here, you can purchase a digging kit (1,100¥), including a small shovel, and receive instructions on how to best create your onsen. However, this activity is only possible at certain times depending on the tide. You can check the available times online on the Visitor Center website.
Arimura Beach
Kurokami
Kurokami is a location on the eastern side of Sakurajima, known for two unique attractions that highlight the destructive power of the volcano:
The Buried Torii of Kurokami – Here stands what remains of an ancient Shinto torii gate, once part of a shrine that no longer exists. During the 1914 eruption, the area was covered by such a massive amount of ash and volcanic debris that the ground level rose dramatically, almost completely burying the torii. Today, only the top of the gate is visible.
Kurokami Observation Point – Located not far from the buried torii, this observation point offers one of the best views of the Showa crater, the volcano’s secondary crater. On more active days, visitors can see plumes of smoke, ash emissions, and occasional lava explosions.
The remaining visible part of the ancient torii gate, known as Kurokami
The active crater (Showa) as seen from the Kurokami Observation Point (credits)
Where to stay in Sakurajima
Very few tourists choose to stay overnight in Sakurajima, as most visitors opt for a day trip from Kagoshima, taking the return ferry before nightfall. After sunset, the atmosphere on the island becomes quite eerie, with deserted streets and almost no open establishments. The few businesses on the island close by 5:00 PM. After this time, only two convenience stores near the port remain open. Following the closure of some accommodations, only three hotels are still operating on the island today. The most accessible is Hotel Rainbow, located near the port, while the other two are on the southern coast, in a completely isolated area—perfect for those seeking silence and absolute peace.
Rainbow Sakurajima Hotel is a ryokan-style accommodation that offers both Japanese-style rooms with tatami and futons and Western-style rooms, all of which are quite spacious, with some featuring panoramic sea views. Like everything on Sakurajima, the property is somewhat old and could use some renovations, but as per Japanese standards, cleanliness is impeccable. The hotel offers packages with breakfast included or half-board, with meals served in the in-house dining room. Another highlight is the presence of Magma Onsen, a public hot spring bath located within the hotel, accessible to both guests (for free) and external visitors (390¥ per person). The hotel is sometimes available on Booking.com but occasionally disappears mysteriously. If you cannot find it, we recommend checking directly on the hotel’s website.
Price range: double rooms 15,000-25,000¥.
This hotel is located on the southern coast of Sakurajima, facing the sea and isolated from everything, including the small settlements on the island. It is a charming place for those who enjoy this kind of setting. Like the other hotel on the island, it shows signs of age, but that adds to its charm. All rooms have sea views, and the hotel's onsen also overlooks the sea, creating a truly unique atmosphere. The restaurant also serves exquisite kaiseki-style dinners. This hotel is not available on hotel booking platforms, but reservations can be made by phone or directly through their website.
Price range: double rooms 14,000-24,000¥.
Where to eat in Sakurajima
Dining options in Sakurajima are quite limited, so planning ahead is advisable. The island does not have a distinct local cuisine, and the dishes served in restaurants are mostly the same as those found in Kagoshima. However, thanks to the fertile volcanic soil, Sakurajima is known for its giant radishes (Sakurajima daikon) and small sweet mandarins (Sakurajima komikan), two signature products of the island that you can taste at some restaurants or buy in local stores.
Most dining spots are located near the Sakurajima port and along the northern coast, but almost all of them close by 2:00 PM. By 5:00 PM, almost nothing remains open. The only restaurant open in the evening is Chinman, a Japanese restaurant that typically stays open until 8:00 PM. For any other needs, there are two convenience stores near the port: a Family Mart open until 10:00 PM and a Lawson open 24 hours a day. Near the port there is also the A Coop supermarket, well stocked and open until 7.30pm. If you are staying overnight on the island, it is highly recommended to have dinner at your hotel.
Café Shirahama
Café Shirahama is a cozy café located in the northern part of Sakurajima and is a perfect stop for those touring the island by car or bike and looking to enjoy local cuisine in a warm and welcoming environment. Run by a local farming family, the café offers vegetarian dishes made with organic vegetables and fruits grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers on their farm. The menu features specialties such as the "farmer’s lunch" and a vegetarian curry, both prepared with fresh seasonal ingredients, including the famous Sakurajima giant radish. In addition to main dishes, homemade desserts are also available. The café is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Thursday to Sunday, but it may occasionally close on those days as well.
How to Get to Sakurajima, all Transportation Options
As previously mentioned, since 1914, Sakurajima is no longer an island but is connected to the Ōsumi Peninsula by a strip of land where a road has been built. However, this access route is not widely used, as the Ōsumi Peninsula is a sparsely populated area that is difficult to reach. To get to Sakurajima by land from Kagoshima, one must drive for about an hour and a half around the bay, an impractical option for most visitors.
The main access route remains the ferry, which connects Kagoshima Port with Sakurajima Port in about 15 minutes. In Kagoshima, the ferry terminal is centrally located near Waterfront Park. The service operates 24 hours a day, with departures every 15-20 minutes during the day and every hour at night (schedule on the official website). The fare is 250¥ for adults and 130¥ for children.
Besides tourists, the ferry is an essential mode of transport for island residents, who use it daily to commute to Kagoshima for services not available on the island, such as high schools, hospitals, and shopping.
If you have rented a car in Kagoshima, you can bring it onto the ferry for an additional fee of 1,700¥ for a small vehicle.
How to get around Sakurajima, public transport and other ways to move
By Public Transport
There is no bus that makes a complete loop around the island. While some local buses do cover certain routes (though you won’t find them on Google Maps), they are not a convenient option and are hardly worth considering. If you don’t want to rent a bike or a car, the best option is to use the Sakurajima Island View Bus, a tourist bus that departs from Sakurajima Port and follows a circular route of about 55-60 minutes, stopping at several scenic viewpoints, including the Yunohira Observatory. Many tourists follow this itinerary—arriving at the port, exploring on foot a little, and taking a tour with this bus before returning to Kagoshima. If you want to explore the island more extensively, you will need to rent a car or a bicycle.
By Bicycle
For cycling enthusiasts, it is possible to explore Sakurajima by bike. A full loop around the island (36 km) takes at least 4 hours and requires a good level of physical fitness, as there are several elevation changes. Even without the ambition of completing the entire loop, renting a bike can be a great way to explore the southern part of the island, which is the only area with dedicated cycling paths and features several interesting sights along the route.
Where to Rent a Bike
There are two places where you can rent a bike, both near the port: the Visitor Center and the Sakurajima Car Rental shop. The latter is significantly cheaper, with bike rentals costing 400¥ per hour. Both shops close at 5:00 PM, so you must return your bicycle by then. Additionally, Hotel Rainbow Sakurajima offers e-bike rentals.
By Car or Scooter
Driving a car on Sakurajima provides flexibility and the ability to explore the island at your own pace. You can bring your rental car onto the ferry from Kagoshima or rent a car or scooter on the island at Sakurajima Car Rental near the port (5,000¥ for two hours). The island's roads are generally well-maintained and well-marked, making driving easy even for foreign visitors. A complete drive around the island takes about an hour.
Map of Sakurajima
Guided tours, activities and other things to do
If you are planning a trip to Japan and you want to do something more than just visiting famous places and monuments, we suggest you to use Rakuten Travel Experiences.
How to use Rakuten Travel Experiences
Rakuten Travel is a very useful website to enrich your travel experience, especially if you are going solo or it's your first time in Japan.
Because of the language barrier (and more), in Japan it is very difficult to interact with the locals and to get off the tourist track.
Thanks to Rakuten Travel you can find a lot of interesting and sometimes unique guided tours and activities all over Japan (and not only in Japan), that you would otherwise never be able to enjoy.
But there's more: on Rakuten Travel you can also buy tickets for several famous attractions, events, transportation and other useful services for tourists. Last but not least, you can reserve a table in hundreds of restaurants.
You can reserve your table in a lot of cafes and restaurants, for example one of the legendary 3-star Michelin restaurants in Japan, or crazy cafes like a unique Owl Cafe in Tokyo or one of the many and nowadays worldwide famous maid cafes
View of the erupting volcano from the island
Magma Onsen
Nagisa Park, a free-access foot onsen
Kagoshima’s coastline at sunset as seen from Sakurajima
Nagisa Trail
At the top of the Dinosaur Park slide before taking the plunge
Map of the Sakurajima Island View Bus route
Karasujima and Akamizu
Yunohira, the highest observation point on the island
Arimura Beach
The remaining visible part of the ancient torii gate, known as Kurokami
The active crater (Showa) as seen from the Kurokami Observation Point (credits)
Rainbow Sakurajima Hotel is a ryokan-style accommodation that offers both Japanese-style rooms with tatami and futons and Western-style rooms, all of which are quite spacious, with some featuring panoramic sea views. Like everything on Sakurajima, the property is somewhat old and could use some renovations, but as per Japanese standards, cleanliness is impeccable. The hotel offers packages with breakfast included or half-board, with meals served in the in-house dining room. Another highlight is the presence of Magma Onsen, a public hot spring bath located within the hotel, accessible to both guests (for free) and external visitors (390¥ per person). The hotel is sometimes available on Booking.com but occasionally disappears mysteriously. If you cannot find it, we recommend checking directly on the hotel’s website.
Price range: double rooms 15,000-25,000¥.
This hotel is located on the southern coast of Sakurajima, facing the sea and isolated from everything, including the small settlements on the island. It is a charming place for those who enjoy this kind of setting. Like the other hotel on the island, it shows signs of age, but that adds to its charm. All rooms have sea views, and the hotel's onsen also overlooks the sea, creating a truly unique atmosphere. The restaurant also serves exquisite kaiseki-style dinners. This hotel is not available on hotel booking platforms, but reservations can be made by phone or directly through their website.
Price range: double rooms 14,000-24,000¥.
