Sakurajima [key], peninsula, Kagoshima prefecture, S Kyushu, Japan, in Kagoshima Bay opposite Kagoshima. Formerly an island, Sakurajima became a peninsula in 1914 when lava from three volcanic cones closed the channel (Mt. Sakurajima is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan). Its fruits and turnips are famous throughout Japan. Sakurajima and the northern part of Kagoshima Bay lie within the Aira caldera, formed by a massive volcanic eruption some 22,000 years ago.
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