Kurokami Buried Shrine Gate

Sakurajima (Cherry Blossom Island), as its name suggests, was once an island until 1914, when a massive eruption connected it to Kagoshima's eastern peninsula.
The eruption lasted for a month, spewing more than 3 billion tons of lava and burying 687 houses.
The roughly 3-meter (10-foot) torii gate of Kurokami Shrine was buried, with only its top beam still visible.
Rather than excavate the gate, the village elder chose to leave it buried as a testament to the eruption's menace for future generations.
Standing quietly next to the gate, as if nestling against it, is an old ficus tree that miraculously survived the eruption.