Fun to know!【The rules of Sakurajima】
The people in Kagoshima including Sakurajima are leading a life following these "rules" below. Take a look at these “rules” that will help you enjoy Sakurajima-Kinkowan Geopark safely. Even if you visit Sakurajima for the first time, don't worry. These ruled will help you enjoy your time on Sakurjaima. The more you know about them, the more you'll have fun!
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【No.1】 Don’ t run away when an eruption occurs.
People can enjoy sightseeing even Sakurajima erupts on a daily basis. Local residents are living at the bottom of Sakurajima which has hundreds of small eruptions every year.
The area within 2km from the crater of Sakurajima is off limits. Tourist spots are all at least 2.5km away from the crater, so you can travel aroung them without any concern.
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【No.2】 Don’ t be surprised if volcanic ash falls on you.
You won’t feel any pain or injured by the falling ash, because they are tiny particles smaller than 2mm. However, be careful if you wear contact lenses because it hurts when the volcanic ash get into your eyes. Don’t be afraid when the ash gets into your mouth, because research shows the abolcanic ash of Sakurajima doesn't affect your health.
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【No.3】 Just beat the ahs off if you want to keep your clothes clean.
People in Kagoshima beat the volcanic ash off when they have some on their clothes. However, have a break under the roof until the ash stops falling if you care about getting dirty.
If you don't mind getting a bit dirty, there's nothing you need to worry about. The ash generally stops falling in 10 to 20 minutes. So if it falls heavily, stay under a roof or get inside a building to wait until it stops ashing.
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【No.4】 Don’t be panicked when you face 'doka bai'
When you are driving and you are caught in heavy ash fall, lower the speed of stop until it stops, just as you do in a heavy rain. As volcanic ash falls in a leeward slope, you can get rid of the ash by avoiding the area depending on the conditions.
('doka bai' means the huge amount of ash fall in Kagoshima)
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【No.5】 Don’t be surprised when you see people not wearing masks.
You’d better wear a mask when volcanic ash falls, however it doesn’t mean that you can’t go out without masks. You may realize that there are a few people wearing masks to deal with volcanic ash when you go to the city of Kagoshima.
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【No.6】 Don’ t worry too much about the possible huge eruption.
If an eruption of the scale as Taisho Eruption is to occur, there will be some visible signs in advance, such as lowering well-water levels and frequent small earthquakes. It's highly unlikely that a sudden huge eruption happens. Even in the case of Taisho Eruption, there were teh signs in advance.
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【No.7】 If you are worried, check out the information of Meteorological Agency.
The Meteorological Agency will announce a level 4 eruption warning (prepare for evacuation) or a level 5 eruption warning (evacuate), if the possibility of a major eruption is considered to be high. If you would like to know about the condition of Sakurajima, please inquire of the Meteorological Agency or visit the website.
※The eruption alert level of Sakurajima is level 3(There is a restriction on entering the mountain.)[External site]
