Sakurajima: A Short Ferry Ride to Kagoshima's Living Volcano

This guide covers the ferry crossing to Sakurajima, the lava viewpoints, the buried torii, the foot bath and hot spring, local food near the port, and the entry limits around the crater.

• A ferry crossing of about 15 minutes takes you from Kagoshima Port to the island of Sakurajima.
• Yunohira Observatory sits at an altitude of 373 m on the 4th station of Kitadake.
• The foot bath at Lava Nagisa Park is 100 m long and free of charge.
• The area within 2 km of the crater is a no-entry zone.

At Sakurajima you cross the bay by ferry and step onto an island built around a volcano. From the ferry terminal you can walk to a roadside shop for a meal. You can also soak your feet in a park foot bath, or drive up to the lava viewpoints.

The notes below follow that order: the crossing, the viewpoints on the mountain, the buried torii, then the bath, the meals and the practical details. Fees and visiting times sit in the tables within each part, so you can compare them at a glance.

Crossing the Bay by Ferry

A white ferry crosses blue harbour water, with green slopes rising behind a wooded shoreline.

The ferry links Kagoshima Port and Sakurajima Port. It sails on weekdays and also on weekends and holidays, with a separate count for each. In poor weather or sea conditions the crossing can run longer. Getting off the boat takes only a little time after docking.

Fares differ for adults and children, and a discount ticket sold at convenience stores costs less than the regular fare. The table gives the regular fares and the crossing times, and below it are the public transport routes to the pier.

Item	Detail
Crossing from Kagoshima Port to Sakurajima Port	about 15 minutes
Crossing, depending on weather and sea conditions	may take around 20 minutes
Time from docking to disembarking	2 to 3 minutes
Sailings per day	94 on weekdays, 104 on weekends and holidays
Adult fare, regular	250 yen
Child fare, regular	130 yen

If you prefer the road over the rails, use this route.

1. From Kagoshima-Chuo Station, the city bus takes about 14 minutes to the Kagoshima Suizokukan-mae stop.
2. Walk from the Kagoshima Suizokukan-mae stop to the Kagoshima Port Sakurajima Ferry Terminal: about 1 minute.

If you prefer the tram, use this route.

1. From Kagoshima-Chuo Station, the city tram takes about 15 minutes to the Suizokukan-guchi stop.
2. Walk from the Suizokukan-guchi stop to the Kagoshima Port Sakurajima Ferry Terminal: about 8 minutes.

Yunohira and Arimura Lava Observatories

A carved stone marker for the Yunohira Observatory stands in the foreground, with the jagged grey summit above green scrub.

The Yunohira Observatory is a viewing facility on the mountain side, with a shop of its own. Visiting the observatory itself costs nothing. A carved stone marker stands in the foreground, with the jagged grey summit above green scrub. The viewing facility keeps set visiting times.

A wooden-railed viewing deck faces the cone across a band of green lava-field forest.

You can reach the Yunohira Observatory by car from the ferry terminal. The island bus also stops at the Yunohira Observatory. The Arimura Lava Observatory is another drive from the ferry terminal. The drive times and the ride time are set out in the table below.

Item	Detail
Yunohira Observatory, location	altitude 373 m, on the 4th station of Kitadake
Yunohira Observatory, admission	free to visit
Yunohira Observatory, viewing facility hours	9:00 to 17:00
Yunohira Observatory shop hours	9:00 to 17:00
Yunohira Observatory by car from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 15 minutes
Sakurajima Island View bus from the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal to the Yunohira Observatory stop	about 40 minutes
Arimura Lava Observatory by car from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 20 minutes

The Buried Torii and the Island Loop

Only the top beam and upper posts of a stone shrine gate show above the ground, shaded by a large tree.

The Kurokami Buried Torii is a stone shrine gate whose top beam and upper posts show above the ground in the shade of a large tree. It is a drive from the ferry terminal, with the time in the table. Arimura beach is reached by car from the same terminal.

If you want to move around the island without a car, the island bus runs at regular intervals. Cross-bikes can be rented at the Sakurajima Visitor Center as another way to get around. The rental has an age limit. It also has its own reception times.

Item	Detail
Kurokami Buried Torii by car from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 30 minutes
Arimura beach by car from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 20 minutes
Island circumference	36 km
Sakurajima Island View bus interval	every 30 minutes, departures from 9:30 to 16:30
Cross-bike rental at the Sakurajima Visitor Center, basic fee	3,300 yen for up to 3 hours, tax and helmet included
Cross-bike rental, additional fee	550 yen per hour, tax included
Cross-bike rental reception hours	9:00 to 14:00
Cross-bike rental, age limit	18 or older

Foot Bath, Hot Spring and Local Food

Huge round white Sakurajima radishes with leafy tops sit on a display tray beside a handwritten sign.

The foot bath at Lava Nagisa Park costs nothing to use. The Lava Nagisa Promenade is a walk from the ferry terminal. Bring a small towel to dry your feet, and treat the bath as a short pause before the meal.

For a proper soak, the Sakurajima Magma Onsen charges an adult admission fee. It keeps its own opening times, and it starts later on Wednesdays. It also has a last reception time, so arrive with a margin if you plan an evening bath after the viewpoints.

For a meal or a souvenir, the Michi-no-Eki Sakurajima Hinoshima Megumikan is a short walk from the ferry terminal. Its product hall and restaurant have a closing day each month. The table lists a set-meal shop reached by car, and cafes with their opening times and closing days.

Item	Detail
Lava Nagisa Promenade on foot from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 10 minutes
Lava Nagisa Park foot bath	100 m long, free of charge
Sakurajima Magma Onsen, adult admission	460 yen
Sakurajima Magma Onsen hours	11:00 to 21:00; on Wednesdays 13:00 to 21:00
Sakurajima Magma Onsen, last reception	20:00
Michi-no-Eki Sakurajima Hinoshima Megumikan on foot from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 5 minutes
Megumikan product sales shop hours	9:00 to 17:00
Megumikan product hall and restaurant, closed	the 3rd Monday of the month (the next day if it is a public holiday), and New Year's Day
Aji no Sato Chinman set-meal shop by car from the Sakurajima Port Ferry Terminal	about 5 minutes
Aji no Sato Chinman hours	11:00 to 15:00 (last order 14:20) and 17:30 to 20:00 (last order 19:20)
NOKI COFFEE at the Kagoshima Port ferry terminal, hours	9:30 to 14:30
MINATO cafe, closed	the 3rd Wednesday

Visitor Center, Drives and Entry Limits

The Sakurajima Visitor Center is a walk from the port. It rents tablets with a video guide in Japanese and English. The Visitor Center keeps set visiting times, listed in the table with the tablet fee. Bike rental, covered above, is also handled here.

The Sakurajima Concierge Center has no closing days. It also stores baggage for a fee, which makes the day's walking lighter. If you arrive by car, the drive times toward the port are below, together with the parking terms beside the Kagoshima Port terminal.

Item	Detail
Sakurajima Visitor Center on foot from Sakurajima Port	about 10 minutes
Sakurajima Visitor Center hours	9:00 to 17:00
Sakurajima Visitor Center tablet rental with a video guide of about 30 minutes in Japanese and English	500 yen per unit
Sakurajima Concierge Center hours	8:30 to 17:15, no closing days
Sakurajima Concierge Center baggage storage	700 yen per item per day
Prefectural paid parking lot next to the Kagoshima Port terminal	free for up to 1 hour, then 200 yen per hour

If you are driving toward the port, these are the drive times along the way.

1. Drive from Mizobe-Kagoshima Airport IC to Kajiki JCT: 8 minutes.
2. Drive from Kajiki JCT to Satsuma-Yoshida IC: 12 minutes.
3. Drive from Satsuma-Yoshida IC to Kagoshima Port: 20 minutes.
4. Drive from Kokubu IC to Sakurajima Port: 60 minutes.

The volcano sets limits that apply to every visit.

• The Sakurajima eruption alert level is currently 3, with entry restriction in place.
• Entry is closed within 2 km of the crater.
• Every tourist facility on Sakurajima is 2.5 km or more from the crater.

If you would rather have the day arranged for you, look at tours that include Sakurajima.