shinmoe is part of the kirishima mountain range which straddles kagoshima and miyazaki prefectures. it rumbled to life on thursday after being dormant for 52 years. a local weather observatory says winds over the crater are scattering ash across a wide area from kirishima city south of the volcano to miyazaki city, about 15 kilometers to the east. it warns massive amounts of ash will likely fall on the southeastern side of the mountain as the wind direction changes. volcanic ash is seriously affecting daily life in various parts of the region. in miyazaki city, falling ash is greatly reducing visibility. many people could be seen carrying umbrellas. the city is located southeast of mount shin-moe, now the harvest season for cabbages. farmers were busy washing their produce. they fear the ash may hurt market prices. at miyazaki airport a decision was made to close all the runways. airlines decided to cancel all flights for the rest of the day out of fear the ash might be sucked into aircraft engines and cause an accident. schools were closed down in several cities. those that remaine