Sakurajima: The Living Volcano
Sakurajima is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. First formed approximately 26,000 years ago, it was originally an island. Lava flow from the Taisho eruption of 1914 connected it to the main island of Kyushu. Over time Japanese pampas grass and pine trees began to grow on the bare rock, followed by evergreen oaks and laurels. Eventually, a forest will thrive on this new land.
The volcanic soil is fertile, and local farmers grow crops distinctive to Sakurajima, such as a new, relatively small variety of Satsuma mandarin orange called the Sakurajima komikan, as well as a variety of Japanese daikon radish known as the Sakurajima daikon.