TOKYO, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Mt. Shinmoe in southwestern Japan erupted violently on Friday at 9:09 a.m. local time, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

According to the weather agency, the volcano's latest eruption was similar in intensity to one that occurred in April and saw plumes of smoke and volcanic ash spewed 2,300 meters into the air from its crater.

Mt. Shinmoe, which straddles both Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, has seen a series of eruptions recently since October when it became particularly active, and prior to that in the January to March period in 2011, the JMA noted.

The JMA opted to maintain its alert level at the volcano at 3, on its scale which peaks at 5, which warns of approaching the 1,421-meter high volcano.

Mt. Shinmoe is one of 50 active volcanoes around Japan that are under constant monitoring by the JMA and seismologists.

There has been no report, as yet, of accidents or injury to persons as a result of the eruption and no damage to property of infrastructure has been reported to local authorities.