A volcano on Japan's main western island of Kyushu has erupted with the alert level raised to 5 - the highest.

According to foreign media, the Telegraph reports, Sakurajima erupted at around 20:05 local time on Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

No damage was reported, but volcanic rocks could be seen up to 2 kilometers away from the site, according to public broadcaster NHK.

There were also no signs of "irregularity" at the nearby Sendai nuclear power plant, Japan's nuclear regulator said.

The eruption alert level has been raised to 5, the highest, with some areas advised for evacuation, local media added.

The nearest residential area – the city of Kagoshima – is across the bay from the volcano and about 3 kilometers away – but people may still be ordered to evacuate there.

Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and eruptions of various levels are frequent.

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