Kirishima, Mount

Kirishima, Mount,

or

Kirishimayama,

volcanic complex, N of Kagoshima Bay on the border between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, Kyushu, S Japan. Consisting of some 30 stratovolcanoes, craters, and other features, including several crater lakes, on underlying shield volcanoes, it rises to 5,577 ft (1,700 m) at the highest peak of the complex, Karakunidake. Seven major vents have erupted over 60 times since A.D. 742. One of the most active, Shinmoedake, had significant eruptions in 1992, 2011, and 2018; Ohachi was extremely active in the late 1800s and early 1900s; and Mt. Io (or Iwo) erupted in 2018 after being quiet for 250 years. The volcanic complex lies within Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park, and historic shrines and temples as well as hot springs are scattered throughout the park.