Mount Fuji (redirected from Mt Fujiyama)

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.