Our southern neighbor, Kagoshima, is home to multiple delights. One is volcanoes; another, their awesome kanji. Between Okinawa and Kyushu lies a string of volcanic islands administered by Kagoshima called the Tokara Islands (吐喝喇列島、トカラ列島) - its name is usually rendered in katakana as it’s etymology lies in what was once a foreign country - Okinawa - and is considered to mean “distant sea area.” The northernmost, Satsuma Iwojima (薩摩硫黄島), is visible from the Kyushu southern coast on clear days.
The island to the west of Yakushima is called Kuchinoerabushima (口永良部島 - I told you the kanji is awesome). Anyway, Kuchinoerabushima erupted this morning for the first time since 2015. - William