I first visited Sakurajima (1117 m) while at the IAVCEI general assembly in July 2013. Myself and the other conference attendees were frequently treated to exciting Vulcanian explosive eruptions from the Showa crater. Since then I have been back to Japan twice (2014) to work in collaboration with the Sakurajima Volcano Observatory.

First sight of the volcano.

Waiting for the volcano to do something.

Boom!

Happy volcanologists.

Sunset over Kagoshima.

Walking around Sakurajima.

More happy volcanologists.

Posing for a photo…and boom!

Eruption posing.

Eruption time.

Eruption time.

Eruption time.

Enjoying the sun and eruptions at Sakurajima in 2013.

Eruption time.

Eruption time.

Pyroclastic flows.

Pyroclastic flows.

Eruption time.

A quiet Sakurajima.

VUELCO presence at the volcano observatory.

The edifice.

Jo representing VUELCO.

Minor ash venting.

He must have been hot with that hat on…