TOKYO: A volcano in southern Japan that appeared in a James Bond film has erupted, shooting smoke and ash thousands of metres into the sky and grounding dozens of flights to and from a nearby airport.
The Meteorological Agency says the Shinmoedake volcano erupted violently several times today, shooting up ash and smoke up to 2,300 metres in its biggest explosion since 2011.
It said some lava was rising from inside a crater at the volcano. The volcano, seen in the 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice," has had smaller eruptions since last week.
Entry to the 1,421-kilometre-high volcano was restricted. About 80 flights in and out of the nearby Kagoshima airport were cancelled. Japan has 110 active volcanoes.