Explosive eruption of Sakurajima volcano. The crater emits a thin plume of smoke just before the eruption, before a powerful shock wave that precedes the main ash cloud. Sakurajima is an active volcano in Kyushu, in southern Japan. It lies only a few kilometres from the city of Kagoshima, and its activity is closely monitored due to the threat it poses. It has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations, as one of 17 volcanoes in the world that pose a particular threat to life. Filmed in February 2011.