KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) -- A volcano on Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, erupted early Sunday morning, sending a plume of ash and smoke up to 4,400 meters into the atmosphere, the weather agency said.

The eruption continued after the initial event, prompting the agency to issue an ashfall forecast for parts of Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures. No injuries or damage to buildings have been reported.

An explosive eruption around 12:57 a.m. on Sunday at the Minamidake crater sent a plume rising above 4,000 meters for the first time since Oct. 18 last year, according to the local meteorological observatory.

In the latest series of eruptions, large volcanic rocks flew as far as the fifth station, but no pyroclastic flows were detected. The alert level remains at three on a scale of five, which restricts access to the mountain.

Sakurajima, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, is linked to the Osumi Peninsula on Kyushu, the country's southwestern main island. It was once an island, but a 1914 lava flow created a land bridge to the peninsula.