Sakurajima was on an island until the early 20th century when a very large eruption connected it to the Kyushu
mainland. Now it's a peninsula!
Upper right
The ferry terminal at Sakurajima sells a Sakurajima Vista bus pass. Unfortunately when we used our pass mid-week the
bus was completely packed, so I was standing, hanging on a strap as the bus sped up the side of Sakurajima to the
viewpoint. It was difficult not to slam into my fellow passengers as the bus sped around the turns.
Lower left
A ferry leaves every few minutes to cross from Kagoshima to the Sakurajima ferry terminal. This is our selfie on the
ferry.
Lower right
This helpful sign at the Sakurajima viewpoint informs everyone how to save themselves in the case of a violent
eruption. We used this sign to let us know how far the walk back might be because we didn't want to risk life and limb
inside the Sakurajima View bus again. Here's a typical eruption, this one occurred a few days after our visit. The walk back down the road was long, but
all downhill, and quite pleasant.
