A VOLCANO has erupted in south-west Japan, coating a nearby city in a layer of ash.

People in Kagoshima wore raincoats and used umbrellas to shield themselves from the ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted.

Local media reported drivers had to turn on their headlights, and said they compared the conditions caused by the ash to driving through snow at night.

The plume was 15,000ft high and lava flowed about half a mile from the fissure. Rail services in the city were halted while ash was removed from the tracks.

As the air became clearer, masked residents sprinkled water and swept up the ash, while the local council mobilised rubbish trucks and water sprinklers to clean up.

The city of 600,000 people is only six miles from the volcano whose eruptions are part of their daily life.

"The smoke was a bit dramatic, but we are kind of used to it," said one city official.

Residents were warned not to venture near the volcano itself, and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no sign of a larger eruption.