A large volcanic explosion was observed Saturday at Sakurajima, Kagoshima Prefecture, according to the Kagoshima regional meteorological observatory.
The explosion, the fourth this year, occurred at Minamidake peak on the active volcano at 11:07 a.m., the observatory said.
There were no reports of injuries or damage, local police said.
A 28-year-old man in the city of Kagoshima said, "I thought something must have hit a steel door when it exploded."
Sakurajima, an active stratovolcano, has been joined joined to the Osumi Peninsula since a large eruption in 1914. It is composed of Kitadake, Nakadake and Minamidake peaks.
Smoke from the volcano sometimes billows to a height of more than 3,000 meters.