Mount Kirishima

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title: "Mount Kirishima" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mountains-of-kagoshima-prefecture", "volcanoes-of-kagoshima-prefecture", "vei-7-volcanoes", "shield-volcanoes-of-asia", "stratovolcanoes-of-japan", "stratovolcanoes-with-shield-volcano-characteristics"] description: "Volcanic group on the island of Kyushu" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kirishima" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Volcanic group on the island of Kyushu ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]

Field	Value
name	Kirishima Mountains
photo	Shinmoe-dake_Volcano_Erupts_on_Kyushu_Feb_2011.jpg
photo_caption	Kirishima volcano group
country	Japan
subdivision1_type	Prefectures
subdivision1
highest	Karakuni-dake
elevation_m	1700
coordinates
::

| name= Kirishima Mountains | map= | map_size= | map_alt= | photo= Shinmoe-dake_Volcano_Erupts_on_Kyushu_Feb_2011.jpg | photo_size= | photo_alt= | photo_caption= Kirishima volcano group | country= Japan | subdivision1_type= Prefectures | subdivision1= | highest= Karakuni-dake | elevation_m= 1700 | coordinates= ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Kirishima_Volcano_Relief_Map,_SRTM-1.jpg" caption="Relief map of Kirishima Volcano"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Kirishima_from_Maruoka_3.jpg" caption="View on the southern side of the volcano group"] ::

The Kirishima Mountains are a 1,700-meter-high active volcano group in Kagoshima Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Numerous eruptions have been recorded since 742. Very strong eruptions happened in 788, 1716, and 1717. Augite-hypersthene andesite is the dominant rock type.

The highest peak is Karakuni-dake (1,700 m). Its name literally means "Korea Peak"; it was once believed to be so high that the Korean Peninsula could be seen from its summit. Other peaks include the sacred and often fabled in national foundation mythology, Takachiho-no-mine (1,573 m) as well as Shinmoedake, both active volcanoes. They are part of Kirishima-Yaku National Park near Kirishima City. Legend via oldest extant texts state the summit of Takachiho was stuck the mysterious spear Ama-no-Sakahoko, by the legendary Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Mount Kirishima is considered one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. The area is often foggy, and it is believed that the name Kirishima comes from the mountain looking like an island in the fog.

The Kongō-class battlecruiser Kirishima of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the Kongō-class guided missile destroyer Kirishima of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force were both named after this mountain.

Shinmoedake is the most active of the Mount Kirishima volcanoes, having erupted in January 2011, March 2011, October 2017, April 2018, June 2025, and August 2025.

The region as well as areas downstream is in the path of expanding Meiyu front from the continent, during the East Asian rainy season, potentially unleashing flash flooding and landslides during this time.

File:Kirishima_Takachihonomine_2.jpg|Takachihonomine Volcano File:Kirishima volcano 20111125.jpg|Kirishima Volcano Group File:1998 shinmoe takachiho.jpg|Shinmoedake Volcano (front) and Takachihonomine Volcano File:Kirishima Ohachi.jpg|Ohachi Volcano File:Koshikidake Rokkannonmiike.jpg|Rokkan'nonmiike Volcano (front) and Koshikidake Volcano (background) File:1998-12 Ohnami-ike.JPG|Onamiike Volcano File:Kirishima Karakunidake 2.jpg|Karakunidake Volcano File:Fudōike 2008-09-27.jpg|Hudouike Volcano File:Hinamoridake Miyazaki.jpg|Hinamoridake Volcano File:Kurinodake Kagoshima.jpg|Kurinodake Volcano

References

References

1. "Mt. Kirishima".
2. "Takachiho: Gods and gorges in divine Miyazaki {{!}} The Japan Times".
3. "Kyushu's Shinmoedake volcano erupts for first time in six years".
4. "硫黄山、約２５０年ぶり噴火 ケガ人なし".
5. (22 June 2025). "Mt. Shinmoe in southwestern Japan erupts, alert level maintained". [[Kyodo News]].
6. (28 August 2025). "Mt. Shinmoedake erupts in southwestern Japan, smoke reaches 5,500 meters". [[NHK]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::