One of Japan's most active volcanos erupted spectacularly Friday evening with a fiery blast that sent lava rolling down its slope.
Japan's Meteorological Agency said Sakurajima on the southern island of Kyushu erupted at around 7 p.m. .
The Meteorological Agency banned entry to the area, expanding an existing no-go zone around the crater to a 2-kilometer radius, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Friday's eruption, while dramatic, was average compared to Sakurajima's past eruptions, Kyoto University volcanologist Kazuhiro Ishihara told NHK.
The Japanese archipelago sits atop the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin, and has more than 100 volcanoes.