Mount Fuji (富士山・富士の山, Fujisan, Fuji no Yama) is an active volcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu. Its height is 3,776.24 meters (12,389 feet 3 inches), making it the highest mountain in Japan. It is the second-highest volcano on any Asian island, after Mount Kerinci on Sumatra, Indonesia. Mount Fuji is also the seventh-highest peak on an island in the world. The last eruption of Mount Fuji occurred between 1707 and 1708.
Mount Fuji is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Tokyo. It can be seen from Tokyo on clear days. The mountain has a round shape and is covered in snow for about five months each year. It is a famous symbol of Japan and often appears in art and photography. Many people visit Mount Fuji for sightseeing, hiking, and climbing.
Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s "Three Holy Mountains" (三霊山, Sanreizan), along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. It is designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and is listed as one of Japan’s Historic Sites. Mount Fuji was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. UNESCO states that Mount Fuji has inspired artists and poets for centuries and has been a place of pilgrimage. UNESCO recognizes 25 cultural sites in the Mount Fuji area. These sites include Mount Fuji itself and the Shinto shrine, Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha.
Etymology
The kanji characters used for Mount Fuji, 富 and 士, mean "wealth" or "abundant" and "man of status," respectively. The origin of the name Fuji and its kanji spelling is still debated. In Japanese, kanji are often chosen based on sound, not meaning, and the kanji for Fuji may not relate to the mountain's name. The mountain was called Fuji before the kanji were assigned to it.
A text from the Heian period, Fuji-san Ki by Miyako no Yoshika, states that the name Fuji comes from the name of a county. A 9th-century story, Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, suggests the name may relate to "immortal" (不死, fushi, fuji) or to the image of many soldiers (富士, fuji) climbing the mountain. An older explanation claims the name comes from 不二 (fushi), meaning "without equal," or 不盡 (fushi), meaning "never-ending."
Hirata Atsutane, a scholar from the Edo period, proposed that the name might come from a word describing a rice plant's ear (穗, ho). John Batchelor, a British missionary, suggested the name came from an Ainu word for "fire" (fuchi), but this was later rejected by Japanese linguist Kyōsuke Kindaichi due to differences in pronunciation. Modern scholars disagree with Batchelor's idea. Research on place names suggests the name Fuji likely comes from the Yamato language, not Ainu.
Kanji Kagami, a Japanese researcher, noted that the name may be related to wisteria (藤, fuji) or rainbow (虹, niji). Another theory, proposed by Vovin, suggests the name may have been borrowed from Old Japanese, meaning "fire master."
In English, the mountain is called "Mount Fuji." Some sources use "Fuji-san," "Fujiyama," or "Mt. Fujiyama." In Japanese, the mountain is called "Fuji-san," where "san" refers to the character 山 ("mountain") in Sino-Japanese vocabulary, not an honorific. In Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki romanization, the name is written as "Huzi."
Other historical Japanese names for the mountain include "Fuji-no-Yama" ("the Mountain of Fuji"), "Fuji-no-Takane" ("the High Peak of Fuji"), "Fuyō-hō" ("the Lotus Peak"), and "Fugaku," which combines the characters for 富 (fuji) and 岳 (mountain). These names are now rare or poetic.
History
Mount Fuji is known for its beautiful cone-shaped mountain. It has been a common subject in Japanese art, especially after 1600, when Edo (now Tokyo) became the capital and travelers saw the mountain along the Tōkaidō road. Historian H. Byron Earhart noted that in medieval times, Mount Fuji was considered the most important mountain in the known world of India, China, and Japan. The mountain is mentioned in Japanese literature throughout history and appears in many poems.
The top of Mount Fuji has been considered sacred for a long time, and women were not allowed to climb it. In 1872, the Japanese government passed an official order stating that practices keeping women away from shrines and temples would end, and women could climb the mountain for worship. Tatsu Takayama was the first recorded woman to reach the summit in 1832.
Ancient samurai used the base of Mount Fuji as a training area near the town of Gotemba. The shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo held archery contests called yabusame in the area during the early Kamakura period.
The first foreigner to climb Mount Fuji was Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860. He reached the summit in 8 hours and returned in 3 hours. His account in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely shared description of the mountain in the West. Lady Fanny Parkes, wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes, became the first non-Japanese woman to climb Mount Fuji in 1867. Photographer Felix Beato climbed the mountain two years later.
On April 30, 1936, Mount Rainier National Park in the United States and Japan’s Fuji-Hakone National Park formed an international "sister mountain" relationship. Rainier was called "Tacoma-Fuji" by Japanese American immigrants in Seattle.
On March 5, 1966, BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707, broke apart in the air and crashed near the Mount Fuji Gotemba New Fifth Station shortly after takeoff. All 113 passengers and 11 crew members died due to turbulence caused by wind patterns near the mountain. A memorial for the victims stands near Gotemba New Fifth Station.
Today, Mount Fuji is a popular destination for tourism and climbing. In the early 20th century, educator Frederick Starr’s talks about climbing Mount Fuji were well-known in America. A Japanese saying suggests that a wise person climbs Mount Fuji once in a lifetime, but only a fool would climb it twice. The mountain remains a cultural symbol in Japan, appearing in movies, inspiring the Infiniti logo, and being referenced in medicine as the "Mount Fuji sign."
In September 2004, the weather station at the summit of Mount Fuji closed after 72 years of operation. The station, located at 3,780 meters (12,402 feet), was Japan’s highest and monitored weather patterns like typhoons and heavy rain. It was replaced by an automated system.
Mount Fuji was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013.
Geography
Mount Fuji is an important part of Japan's geography. It is 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft) tall and is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshu, just southwest of Tokyo. The mountain is on the border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Four small cities are near Mount Fuji: Gotemba to the east, Fujiyoshida to the north, Fujinomiya to the southwest, and Fuji to the south. These cities are surrounded by towns and villages. Five lakes are near Mount Fuji: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu, and Lake Shōji. Nearby, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is Lake Ashi, which also offers views. Mount Fuji is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. From places like Yokohama, Tokyo, and sometimes as far as Chiba, Saitama, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Lake Hamana, the mountain can be seen on clear days. It was photographed from space during a space shuttle mission.
The top of Mount Fuji has a tundra climate (Köppen classification ET). At high altitudes, temperatures are very cold, and snow covers the mountain for several months each year. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −38.0 °C (−36.4 °F) in February 1981. The highest temperature recorded was 17.8 °C (64.0 °F) in August 1942.
Mount Fuji’s seasonal snowcap usually appears around October 2. In 2024, the snowcap formed on November 6, which is the latest date since records began in 1894.
Geology
Mount Fuji is located at a place where three large pieces of Earth's crust, called plates, meet. These plates are the Eurasian Plate, the North American Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate. These plates form parts of Japan and the Izu Peninsula. The Pacific Plate is moving under these plates, which causes volcanic activity. Mount Fuji is near three island arcs: the Southwestern Japan Arc, the Northeastern Japan Arc, and the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc. The Fuji triple junction is 400 kilometers (250 miles) away from the Boso triple junction.
The main crater of Mount Fuji is 780 meters (2,560 feet) wide and 240 meters (790 feet) deep. The bottom of the crater is 100–130 meters (330–430 feet) wide. The slopes near the crater are steep, about 31°–35°, which is the same as the slope of dry gravel. Beyond 1.5–2 kilometers (0.93–1.24 miles) from the crater, slopes are less steep, about 27°, due to the presence of scoria. Further down the mountain, slopes become even gentler, decreasing to less than 10°.
Scientists have identified four stages in the formation of Mount Fuji. The first stage, called Sen-komitake, includes an andesite core deep inside the mountain, discovered in 2004. This was followed by Komitake Fuji, a basalt layer formed hundreds of thousands of years ago. About 100,000 years ago, Old Fuji formed on top of Komitake Fuji. Modern New Fuji formed on top of Old Fuji around 10,000 years ago.
Before Komitake, volcanic activity began in the Middle Pleistocene in an area 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) north of Mount Fuji. After a short pause, eruptions formed Komitake Volcano, which ended 100,000 years ago. Ashitaka Volcano was active from 400,000 to 100,000 years ago and is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji started erupting 100,000 years ago, with Ko-Fuji (Old Fuji) forming 100,000 to 17,000 years ago. Ko-Fuji is now mostly buried. A large landslide on the southwest side occurred about 18,000 years ago. Shin-Fuji (New Fuji) erupted with lava, lapilli, and volcanic ash between 17,000 and 8,000 years ago, 7,000 and 3,500 years ago, and 4,000 and 2,000 years ago. Flank eruptions, mostly as parasitic cinder cones, stopped in 1707. The largest cone, Omuro-Yama, is one of more than 100 cones aligned in specific directions through the summit. Mount Fuji has over 70 lava tunnels and many lava tree molds. Two large landslides are at the head of the Yoshida-Osawa and Osawa-Kuzure valleys.
As of December 2002, Mount Fuji was classified as an active volcano with a low risk of eruption. The last recorded eruption was the Hōei eruption, which began on December 16, 1707, and ended about January 1, 1708. This eruption created a new crater and a second peak, Mount Hōei, on the southeastern side. Ash and cinders from the eruption fell like rain in areas such as Izu, Kai, Sagami, and Musashi. No eruptions have been recorded since then. On March 15, 2011, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred near Mount Fuji on its southern side.
About 11,000 years ago, lava erupted from the west side of Mount Fuji’s summit, forming the main body of the mountain. Since then, the tops of ancient Fuji and New Fuji have been visible side by side. About 2,500–2,800 years ago, the top of ancient Fuji collapsed in a large event, leaving only the top of Shin-Fuji. Ten eruptions are recorded in reliable historical sources.
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, some media suggested that the event might cause increased volcanic activity at Mount Fuji. In 2012, models by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention estimated that pressure in Mount Fuji’s magma chamber could be 1.6 megapascals higher than after the 1707 eruption. Some media interpreted this as a sign that an eruption might soon occur. However, without direct measurements, these calculations remain unverified. Other signs, such as active fumaroles and new faults, are common for this type of volcano.
Eruption concerns continued into the 2020s. In 2021, a new hazard map was created to help residents prepare for evacuation, which increased fears due to updated lava flow estimates and additional vents. Soon after, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the area. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the earthquake did not increase the risk of eruption. In 2023, a new evacuation plan was developed to reflect the 2021 hazard map updates.
Aokigahara forest
Aokigahara forest is located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji. Folk tales and legends describe ghosts, demons, yūrei, and yōkai haunting the forest. In the 19th century, Aokigahara was one of several places where poor families left their young and elderly behind. Each year, about 30 suicides are reported, with a peak of almost 80 in 2002. Because of the increase, local leaders put up signs to encourage people considering suicide to think again. These signs have stopped some attempts. The history of suicides has made the area a place of interest that has lasted for many years.
Many hikers leave colored plastic tape to mark their paths, which worries people about the impact on the forest's environment.
Access
The closest airport with flights to other countries is Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport. It opened in June 2009. The airport is about 80 km (50 miles) from Mount Fuji. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and Narita International Airport are about three hours and 15 minutes from Mount Fuji.
In 2009, about 300,000 people climbed Mount Fuji. The most popular time to climb is from July to August, when weather is warm and mountain huts are open. Buses to the trailheads usually start running on July 1. Climbing from October to May is not recommended, as cold weather has caused serious accidents. Many Japanese climbers reach the top at night so they can see the sunrise at the summit. This sunrise is called 御来光 (goraikō), which means "arrival of light."
There are four main routes to the summit, each with numbered stations. Starting from the north and going clockwise, the routes are Yoshida, Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya. Climbers usually begin at the fifth station, as these are reachable by car or bus. The summit is the tenth station on each route. Stations on different routes are at different heights, with the highest fifth station on the Fujinomiya route. Four other routes start at the mountain’s base: Shojiko, Yoshida, Suyama, and Murayama.
The Yoshida route is the most popular, even though it is not the tallest. It has a large parking area and many mountain huts where climbers can rest. Most tour buses arrive there during summer. The Fujinomiya route is the next most popular, followed by Subashiri and Gotemba. It takes about five to seven hours to climb from the fifth station to the summit, and three to four hours to return. Many climbers use the Subashiri and Gotemba routes for descending because their paths are covered in ash, which makes the descent faster.
Tractor paths run alongside climbing trails. These paths are used to transport food and supplies to mountain huts. Tractors often block the sides of the paths with rocks, so these areas are not open to climbers unless merged with climbing paths. However, some people ride mountain bikes down these paths from the summit, which can be dangerous because rocks may fall onto others.
The four base routes have historical sites. Murayama is the oldest route, while the Yoshida route has many old shrines, teahouses, and huts. These routes are becoming more popular and are being restored, though they are still less commonly used. Bears have been seen along the Yoshida route.
Huts at or above the fifth station are usually staffed during climbing season, but huts below the fifth station are not. Yoshida has the most huts, while Gotemba has the fewest. Huts on the Gotemba route also open later and close earlier than those on the Yoshida route. It is illegal to camp above the fifth station because Mount Fuji is a national park.
Eight peaks surround the summit. The highest point in Japan, Ken-ga-mine, was where the Mount Fuji Radar System was located before it was replaced by an automated system on October 1, 2008. Climbers can visit these surrounding peaks.
Paragliders launch from areas near the fifth station, Gotemba parking lot, and between Subashiri and Hōei-zan peak on Mount Fuji’s south side, depending on wind direction. Some paragliding schools use the sandy/grassy slope between Gotemba and Subashiri parking lots for training.
On February 1, 2024, the Yamanashi prefectural government required a fee of 2,000 yen ($13) for hikers using the Yoshida trail during summer. It also limited the number of hikers to 4,000 per day and closed the trail from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., except for guests at mountain lodges. The Shizuoka prefectural government later closed the Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya trails at the same time, with the same exceptions, due to concerns about overcrowding.
In culture
In Shinto mythology, Kuninotokotachi (国之常立神, Kuninotokotachi-no-Kami, in the Kojiki) (国常立尊, Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto, in the Nihon Shoki) is one of two gods born from "something like a reed that arose from the soil" during a time when the earth was in chaos. According to the Nihon Shoki, Konohanasakuya-hime, the wife of Ninigi, is the goddess of Mount Fuji. A shrine called Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha is dedicated to her.
In ancient times, people worshipped the mountain from a distance. A shrine named Asama was built at the mountain’s base to protect against eruptions. During the Heian period (794–1185), volcanic activity decreased, and Mount Fuji became a center for Shugendō, a religion that combines mountain worship with Buddhism. People began climbing the mountain, and by the early 12th century, a monk named Matsudai Shonin built a temple on its peak.
During the Edo period, a religious group called Fuji-kō formed around Mount Fuji. It was founded by a spiritual leader named Hasegawa Kakugyō (1541–1646). This group believed the mountain was a female deity and encouraged members to climb it. They believed climbing the mountain would lead to spiritual rebirth, "purification," and happiness. The group became less popular during the Meiji period but still exists today, now part of Shinto sects.
Mount Fuji is a national symbol of Japan and has appeared in many forms of media, including paintings, woodblock prints (such as Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji from the 1830s), poetry, music, theater, films, manga, anime, pottery, and even Kawaii culture.
Before its major eruption in 1980, Mount St. Helens in the United States was called "The Fuji of America" because of its similar shape to Mount Fuji. Mount Taranaki in New Zealand is also said to look like Mount Fuji and has been used as a stand-in for it in movies and television.