Kurokami Buried Torii

On January 12, 1914, Sakurajima saw a massive volcanic event called the Taisho Eruption, with a recorded timestamp of lasting about one month. Volcanic ash rose to an altitude of 18,000 meters, while the eruption was at such scale that it connected Sakurajima to the Ōsumi Peninsula, which had previously been separated by sea.

In the Kurokami area on the eastern side of Sakurajima, a heavy fall of ash and pumice blanketed the entire region. Haragosha Shrine was also struck by the eruption, and its torii gate-originally 3 meters tall-was buried, leaving only about 1 meter of the top crossbeam visible above ground. Although there were initial plans to dig it out, the village mayor of Higashi-Sakurajima at the time suggested leaving it as it was to serve as a reminder of the disaster for future generations.
Today, this site offers a rare and tangible sense of the power and impact of the Taisho Eruption. The Kurokami Buried Torii is designated as a natural monument by Kagoshima Prefecture.

Beyond the torii stands the main hall of Haragosha Shrine, where visitors can still offer prayers. Beside the torii, you can also see a giant akou tree (ficus superba), which miraculously survived the eruption and remains quietly standing to this day.