Japanese volcano erupts again

A volcano in southwestern Japan has erupted after nearly two weeks of relative silence, sending ash and rocks up to four kilometres into the air.

It's not immediately clear if the eruption is a direct result of the massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked northern areas, unleashing a fierce tsunami and sparking fears that more than 10-thousand may have been killed.

The 14-hundred-metre Shinmoedake volcano in the Kirishima range saw its first major eruption for 52 years in January, but there's been no major activity at the site since March 1.

Authorities have maintained a volcano warning at a level of three out of five, restricting access to the entire mountain.