TOKYO (Sputnik) — An ash spew began Thursday and lasted for about 30 minutes. The following day, the volcano ejected smoke and ashes some 200 meters (656 feet) into the air, the agency said.
JMA warned of the possibility of an eruption.
On May 29, Shindake erupted, prompting an evacuation of about 140 residents. The agency had raised the volcano alert level to five, the highest on its scale.
The Kuchinoerabu-jima island, part of the Kagoshima Prefecture, is situated some 70 miles away from Japan’s southern coast. The island can only be reached by boat or ferry, which runs between Kuchinoerabu-jima and Yakushima islands.
Previously, Shindake erupted in August and caused some 90 residents to evacuate.
Japan, home to seven percent of the world’s volcanoes, has seen an upsurge in volcanic activity in recent months.
