Sakurajima Volcano, located in southern Japan about 950 km from Tokyo (see map below), erupted for the 500th time this August, 2013. The explosive eruption of Mt Sakurajima, a 1117-meter peak, left the city of Kagoshima covered with volcanic ash (see photo below), causing train delays and poor visibility, forcing the residents of Kagoshima to use masks and umbrellas to protect themselves from the ash. The eruption also resulted in a small flow that traveled 1 km from the crater. The eruption sent a volcanic plume 5000 m in the air, as seen in the photo below.