Fuji, Mount

Fuji, Mount (f`jē), Fujiyama (f'jēyä`mä, fjē`yämä), or Fuji-san (f`jē-sän), volcanic peak, 12,389 ft (3,776 m) high, central Honshu, Japan, in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park (472 sq mi/1,222 sq km; est. 1936). The highest mountain in Japan, it is a sacred mountain and the traditional goal of pilgrimage. According to legend, an earthquake created Fuji in 286 B.C. The beauty of the snowcapped symmetrical cone, ringed by lakes and virgin forests, has inspired Japanese poets and painters throughout the centuries. Its last major eruption was in 1707.

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Fuji, Mount

 or Fujiyama Japanese Fuji-san

Mountain, central Japan. The highest mountain in Japan, it rises to 12,388 ft (3,776 m) near the Pacific coast in central Honshu. Mount Fuji, with its graceful volcanic cone (dormant since 1707), has become famous internationally. It is considered a sacred symbol of Japan, and thousands of Japanese climb to the shrine on its peak every summer. The mountain is the major feature of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, created in 1936.

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Fuji, Mount 

(also Fuji-san, Fujiyama), an active volcano on the island of Honshu. The highest peak in Japan, Mount Fuji reaches an elevation of 3,776 m. It is located 90 km west-southwest of Tokyo.

Mount Fuji is almost a perfect cone. The crater at the summit is 700 m in diameter and approximately 100 m deep. Lateral craters and slag cones are found on the slopes. The volcano covers most of the ancient volcano of Ashitoka, the summit of which emerges on Mount Fuji’s southeastern slope. Since 781, Mount Fuji has erupted 14 times, discharging streams of basalt lava. The last eruption occurred in 1707. Evergreen forests and shrub-covered wasteland are found on the slopes. The summit is covered with snow ten months of the year.

Mount Fuji is considered sacred and attracts tourists and religious pilgrims. A favorite motif in Japanese art, it is depicted in paintings and embroideries and on porcelain ware. Mount Fuji is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.