TL;DR – I spent a day in Kagoshima watching a volcano erupt.

Disclosure – I paid for my flights, accommodation, entry, and everything you see purchased in this article.

Exploring Japan –

I had always planned to go back to Japan one day, and had started making plans to go back in 2020. Then, well, 2020 happened. But late last year, I finally had the chance to put those plans back in motion as I flew out of Melbourne for Osaka, and thus my time in Japan began.

I had woken up early, and instead of going back to bed, something called me to the window as I watched the Sun rise behind Sakurajima. It was honestly breathtaking. I know that Mt. Fuji is the undisputed king of Japanese mountains, but can I please submit my petition for Sakurajima to be considered the second-best mountain in the country?

As I was watching the Sun rise, I noticed a different type of cloud, one emanating from the mountain itself. But surely, I was just seeing something, I thought.

Fast-forward through one very nice hotel breakfast, and I was back in my room getting ready and planning out my day when something caught the corner of my eye.

I was not seeing things; that was a clear smoke trail coming from the top of the mountain. Sakurajima was erupting.

I say erupting because that was the first thought that entered my mind; I am sure it was classified as a small ash release or something similar. Sakurajima is the most active volcano in Japan, and as I learned, this was quite routine for the mountain. To the point that there were ash drop-off points for people when they were cleaning their houses afterwards.

While the wind was pushing the ash away from the city towards Kirishima, there was no guarantee that a) it would not get worse, or b) that the wind would shift and I was not prepared for ash in the lungs. But then gave me a moment of revelation: I am witnessing something that I have never seen in my 40-odd years on the planet; so enjoy it, and that is what I did.

I watched the ash billow and blow into the atmosphere; I watched the winds pick it up and sweep it across the sky, and I watched the light interplay with the particles; it was a good day.

I spent the rest of the day [other than a quick snack run to the convenience store] watching the majesty unfold, while writing and preparing my bags for the big travel days ahead. I know that this was probably something quite mundane for the people who live around here, but for me it was a special experience that I am glad I got to see.

Sooner than I could have thought, the Sun started to set, and ripples of red permeated throughout the smoke.

When the Sun was gone, the mountain was just a hint in the darkness. It was this time that my stomach reminded me that I was hungry, and I had not eaten any ramen so far on the trip. A scandal, one I chose to fix right away. Can I say that this was as delicious as it looked. My apologies to the cook and server of Taiko Ramen Restaurant for forgetting I had a translator app on my phone and completely embarrassing myself on the ordering ticket machine. Goodness, was it worth it. Every mouthful was delicious. The best meal in Japan was one of the last ones.