Kirishimayama

Kirishimayama comprises more than 20 individual volcanic centers packed into a 20 x 30 km area — one of the highest concentrations of volcanic vents in Japan.

The complex has produced four VEI 4 eruptions in the past 6,000 years, at different vents, demonstrating that explosive potential shifts between centers over time.

Shinmoedake erupted in 2011 after 52 years of silence, hurling volcanic blocks more than 3 km and producing shockwaves felt in nearby cities.

The filming of the James Bond movie 'You Only Live Twice' (1967) took place in the Kirishima area, with the volcanic landscape serving as the villain's secret lair.

According to Japan's oldest mythological texts, Takachiho-no-mine is where the god Ninigi descended from heaven — making it one of Japan's most sacred volcanic peaks.

Kirishima Shrine has been relocated multiple times throughout history because previous sites were destroyed by volcanic eruptions.

The 2018 eruption of Shinmoedake produced the first lava overflow from the crater rim in the modern historical record, representing a new hazard mode for the complex.

Ohachi, once the most active vent, has been essentially dormant since 1923, while Shinmoedake has taken over as the primary eruptive center — a textbook example of vent migration in a volcanic field.

The Miyama Kirishima azalea, which blooms spectacularly across the volcanic highlands each spring, is named after the mountain and is a symbol of Kyushu's natural beauty.

The name Karakunidake means 'Korea Peak' because Korea was supposedly visible from its 1,700 m summit on exceptionally clear days.

The Ebino Plateau, the primary visitor gateway at 1,200 m elevation, is surrounded by volcanic crater lakes and active steam vents.

Kirishimayama has erupted 7 times in the 21st century alone (as of 2025), making it one of the most frequently active volcanic complexes in Japan.