Sakurajima volcano picking up activity

The Sakurajima volcano in southwestern Japan has had 400 explosive eruptions so far this year, the most in 24 years, a local observatory said Friday, alerting people to a further pickup in the activity of the mountain. The Kagoshima Observatory said the number of minor explosive eruptions reached the threshold Thursday night and an expert says the recent Sakurajima activity is similar to that observed just ahead of a major eruption that occurred in 1946.