Fuji-san (富士山), from Lake Kawaguchi - photo in the public domain

Fuji-san / 富士山 (Mount Fuji)

3776m, P3776m

Location

Honshu, Japan

Coordinates

35.3606° N, 138.7274° E

Range

Fuji Volcanic Zone, at the junction of Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures

Description of the mountain and geology

Mount Fuji (Fuji-san / 富士山) is Japan’s highest and most iconic mountain, rising almost symmetrically above the plains of central Honshu. It is a stratovolcano built from successive basaltic to andesitic lava flows, pyroclastic deposits, and scoria cones.

The modern cone, Shin‑Fuji (新富士), overlies an older volcanic edifice, Ko‑Fuji (古富士), active about 100,000 years ago, itself resting on Komitake Volcano (小御岳火山). The present cone formed roughly 10,000 years ago; its last eruption, the Hōei eruption (宝永噴火) of 1707–08, blanketed Edo (modern Tokyo) with ash and opened a secondary crater, Hōei‑zan (宝永山), on the southeast flank. Fuji’s near‑perfect cone results from repeated effusion of basaltic lava, forming concave slopes. It stands at the junction of the Amurian, Okhotsk, and Philippine Sea plates — a tectonically active triple junction.

Archaeological, historical, and cultural notes

Fuji-san has long been venerated as a sacred mountain (shintai / 神体). The earliest recorded ascent, in 663 CE, was by the monk En‑no‑Ōzunu (役小角). From the Heian period, Fuji was a focus of Shintō and Buddhist devotion, with pilgrim fraternities (Fujiko / 富士講) thriving in the Edo era. Its image dominates Japanese art, for example those of Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) Thirty‑Six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景) and Utagawa Hiroshige’s (歌川広重) One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (名所江戸百景). Fuji appears in early literature such as The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語). In 2013 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site for its artistic and spiritual significance.

Summit description

The summit is a 500m‑wide crater about 250m deep, ringed by eight peaks known as the Hasshō (八峰). The highest point, Kengamine (剣ヶ峰, 3,776 m), formerly carried the Mount Fuji Radar Dome (富士山レーダードーム). Clear‑weather views reach to Tokyo Bay and the Japan Alps. Snow usually melts by July but returns in early autumn.

Popular routes to the summit

Four main trails ascend from their respective Fifth Stations (五合目 / Go‑gōme):
- Yoshida Trail (吉田ルート) — busiest and best‑served, from Yamanashi.
- Subashiri Trail (須走ルート) — forested eastern approach.
- Gotemba Trail (御殿場ルート) — longest, with deep ash.
- Fujinomiya Trail (富士宮ルート) — shortest but steepest, from Shizuoka.

Many climbers start at night to see the sunrise (Goraikō / 御来光) from the rim.

Other items of interest

Fuji-san remains an active volcano under continuous monitoring by the Japan Meteorological Agency. It lies within Fuji‑Hakone‑Izu National Park (富士箱根伊豆国立公園), surrounded by lava caves, springs, and the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko / 富士五湖). Vegetation zones range from deciduous forest to alpine tundra. Despite heavy visitation, climbing Fuji retains a deeply symbolic meaning — a once‑in‑a‑lifetime act of devotion for many Japanese.

Peakbagger website link - here

Note:  this profile has been generated, under human direction, using AI (ChatGPT), and then human-edited.