83-713: Mount Fuji ( 富士山 , Fujisan , Japanese: [ɸɯꜜ(d)ʑisaɴ] ) is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu , with a summit elevation of 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft 3 in). It is the tallest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra ), and seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth. Mount Fuji last erupted from 1707 to 1708 . The mountain
166-576: A Boeing 707 , broke up in flight and crashed near the Mount Fuji Gotemba New fifth station, shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport . All 113 passengers and 11 crew members died in the disaster, which was attributed to the extreme clear-air turbulence caused by lee waves downwind of the mountain. There is a memorial for the crash victims a short distance down from the Gotemba New fifth station. Today, Mount Fuji
249-458: A composite volcano , is a conical volcano built up by many alternating layers ( strata ) of hardened lava and tephra . Unlike shield volcanoes , stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and explosive eruptions. Some have collapsed summit craters called calderas . The lava flowing from stratovolcanoes typically cools and solidifies before spreading far, due to high viscosity . The magma forming this lava
332-747: A 4-inch thick ash layer can weigh 120-200 pounds and can get twice as heavy when wet. Wet ash also poses a risk to electronics due to its conductive nature. Dense clouds of hot volcanic ash can be expelled due to the collapse of an eruptive column , or laterally due to the partial collapse of a volcanic edifice or lava dome during explosive eruptions . These clouds are known as pyroclastic surges and in addition to ash , they contain hot lava , pumice , rock , and volcanic gas . Pyroclastic surges flow at speeds over 50 mph and are at temperatures between 200 °C – 700 °C. These surges can cause major damage to property and people in their path. Lava flows from stratovolcanoes are generally not
415-647: A daily limit of 4,000 hikers on the trail and close it between 4 p.m. and 3 a.m except for guests in mountain lodges. The Shizuoka prefectural government subsequently announced that it would also close the Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya trails at the same time period with the same exceptions, citing also concerns over congestion. In Shinto mythology, Kuninotokotachi (国之常立神, Kuninotokotachi-no-Kami , in Kojiki )(国常立尊, Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto , in Nihon Shoki )
498-479: A fast moving mudflow . Lahars are typically about 60% sediment and 40% water. Depending on the abundance of volcanic debris the lahar can be fluid or thick like concrete. Lahars have the strength and speed to flatten structures and cause great bodily harm, gaining speeds up to dozens of kilometers per hour. In the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia , Pyroclastic surges melted snow and ice atop
581-515: A final intermediate composition . When the magma nears the top surface, it pools in a magma chamber within the crust below the stratovolcano. The processes that trigger the final eruption remain a question for further research. Possible mechanisms include: These internal triggers may be modified by external triggers such as sector collapse , earthquakes , or interactions with groundwater . Some of these triggers operate only under limited conditions. For example, sector collapse (where part of
664-711: A foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860, who ascended the mountain in 8 hours and descended in 3 hours. Alcock's brief narrative in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely disseminated description of the mountain in the West. Lady Fanny Parkes, the wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes , was the first non-Japanese woman to ascend Mount Fuji, in 1867. Photographer Felix Beato climbed Mount Fuji two years later. On March 5, 1966, BOAC Flight 911 ,
747-496: A high of nearly 80 bodies in 2002. The recent increase in suicides prompted local officials to erect signs that attempt to convince individuals experiencing suicidal intent to re-think their desperate plans, and sometimes these messages have proven effective. The numbers of suicides in the past creates an allure that has persisted across the span of decades. Many hikers mark their routes by leaving colored plastic tape behind as they pass, raising concern among prefectural officials about
830-408: A new evacuation plan was developed to account for the 2021 hazard map update. The forest at the northwest base of the mountain is named Aokigahara . Folk tales and legends tell of ghosts, demons, Yūrei and Yōkai haunting the forest, and in the 19th century, Aokigahara was one of many places poor families abandoned the very young and elderly. Approximately 30 suicides have been counted yearly, with
913-461: A non- kan-on reading in a word where the kan-on reading is well known is a common cause of reading mistakes or difficulty, such as in ge-doku ( 解毒 , detoxification, anti-poison) ( go-on ), where 解 is usually instead read as kai . The go-on readings are especially common in Buddhist terminology such as gokuraku ( 極楽 , paradise) , as well as in some of the earliest loans, such as
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#1732773052980996-595: A popular symbol in Japanese culture, including making numerous movie appearances, inspiring the Infiniti logo, and even appearing in medicine with the Mount Fuji sign . In September 2004, the staffed weather station at the summit was closed after 72 years in operation. Observers monitored radar sweeps that detected typhoons and heavy rains. The station, which was the highest in Japan at 3,780 m (12,402 ft),
1079-769: A result of intraplate volcanism on oceanic islands far from plate boundaries. Examples are Teide in the Canary Islands , and Pico do Fogo in Cape Verde . Stratovolcanoes in the East African Rift include Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania, and Longonot in Kenya. Subduction zone volcanoes form when hydrous minerals are pulled down into the mantle on the slab. These hydrous minerals, such as chlorite and serpentine , release their water into
1162-461: A significant threat to humans or animals because the highly viscous lava moves slowly enough for everyone to evacuate. Most deaths attributed to lava are due to related causes such as explosions and asphyxiation from toxic gas . Lava flows can bury homes and farms in thick volcanic rock which greatly reduces property value. However, not all stratovolcanoes erupt viscous and sticky lava . Nyiragongo , near Lake Kivu in central Africa ,
1245-436: Is 780 m (2,560 ft) in diameter and 240 m (790 ft) deep. The bottom of the crater is 100–130 m (330–430 ft) in diameter. Slope angles from the crater to a distance of 1.5–2 km (0.93–1.24 mi) are 31°–35°, the angle of repose for dry gravel. Beyond this distance, slope angles are about 27°, which is caused by an increase in scoria . Mid-flank slope angles decrease from 23° to less than 10° in
1328-531: Is a passive release of gas during periods of dormancy. As per the above examples, while eruptions like Mount Unzen have caused deaths and local damage, the impact of the June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo was seen globally. The eruptive columns reached heights of 40 km and dumped 17 megatons of SO 2 into the lower stratosphere . The aerosols that formed from the sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and other gases dispersed around
1411-455: Is an international destination for tourism and mountain climbing . In the early 20th century, populist educator Frederick Starr 's Chautauqua lectures about his several ascents of Mount Fuji— in 1913, 1919, and 1923—were widely known in America. A well-known Japanese saying suggests that a wise person will climb Mt. Fuji once in their lifetime, but only a fool would climb it twice. It remains
1494-424: Is called 御来光 goraikō , "arrival of light". There are four major routes to the summit, each has numbered stations along the way. They are (clockwise, starting north): Kawaguchiko, Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya routes. Climbers usually start at the fifth stations, as these are reachable by car or by bus. The summit is the tenth station on each trail. The stations on different routes are at different elevations;
1577-523: Is designated as a national park, it is illegal to camp above the fifth station. There are eight peaks around the crater at the summit. The highest point in Japan, Ken-ga-mine, is where the Mount Fuji Radar System used to be (it was replaced by an automated system in 2004). Climbers are able to visit each of these peaks. Paragliders take off in the vicinity of the fifth station Gotemba parking lot, between Subashiri and Hōei-zan peak on
1660-427: Is from July to August, while huts and other facilities are operating and the weather is warmest. Buses to the trail heads typically used by climbers start running on July 1. Climbing from October to May is very strongly discouraged, after a number of high-profile deaths and severe cold weather. Most Japanese climb the mountain at night in order to be in a position at or near the summit when the sun rises. The morning light
1743-400: Is located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Tokyo and is visible from the Japanese capital on clear days. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is covered in snow for about five months of the year, is commonly used as a cultural icon of Japan and is frequently depicted in art and photography, as well as visited by sightseers, hikers and mountain climbers. Mount Fuji
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#17327730529801826-476: Is often felsic , having high to intermediate levels of silica (as in rhyolite , dacite , or andesite ), with lesser amounts of less viscous mafic magma . Extensive felsic lava flows are uncommon, but can travel as far as 8 km (5 mi). The term composite volcano is used because the strata are usually mixed and uneven instead of neat layers. They are among the most common types of volcanoes; more than 700 stratovolcanoes have erupted lava during
1909-508: Is one of Japan's " Three Holy Mountains " ( 三霊山 , Sanreizan ) along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku . It is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and one of Japan's Historic Sites . It was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. According to UNESCO , Mount Fuji has "inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries". UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest within
1992-410: Is one of the two gods born from "something like a reed that arose from the soil" when the earth was chaotic . According to the Nihon Shoki , Konohanasakuya-hime , wife of Ninigi , is the goddess of Mount Fuji, where Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha is dedicated for her. In ancient times, the mountain was worshipped from afar. The Asama shrine was set up at the foothills to ward off eruptions. In
2075-535: Is reflected in the carryover to Japanese as well. Additionally, many Chinese syllables, especially those with an entering tone , did not fit the largely consonant-vowel (CV) phonotactics of classical Japanese. Thus most on'yomi are composed of two morae (beats), the second of which is either a lengthening of the vowel in the first mora (to ei , ō , or ū ), the vowel i , or one of the syllables ku , ki , tsu , chi , fu (historically, later merged into ō and ū ), or moraic n , chosen for their approximation to
2158-451: Is the most famous example of a hazardous stratovolcano eruption. It completely smothered the nearby ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum with thick deposits of pyroclastic surges and pumice ranging from 6–7 meters deep. Pompeii had 10,000-20,000 inhabitants at the time of eruption. Mount Vesuvius is recognized as one of the most dangerous of the world's volcanoes, due to its capacity for powerful explosive eruptions coupled with
2241-617: Is the word for "fire", ape huchi kamuy being the fire deity. Research on the distribution of place names that include fuji as a part also suggest the origin of the word fuji is in the Yamato language rather than Ainu. Japanese toponymist Kanji Kagami argued that the name has the same root as wisteria ( 藤 , fuji ) and rainbow ( 虹 , niji , but with an alternative reading, fuji ) , and came from its "long well-shaped slope". Modern linguist Alexander Vovin proposes an alternative hypothesis based on Old Japanese reading */puⁿzi/ :
2324-450: Is typically between 700 and 1,200 °C (1,300-2,200 °F). Volcanic bombs are masses of unconsolidated rock and lava that are ejected during an eruption. Volcanic bombs are classified as larger than 64mm (2.5 inches). Anything below 64mm is classified as a volcanic block . When erupted Bombs are still molten and partially cool and solidify on their descent. They can form ribbon or oval shapes that can also flatten on impact with
2407-403: Is very dangerous because its magma has an unusually low silica content , making it much less viscous than other stratovolcanoes. Low viscosity lava can generate massive lava fountains , while lava of thicker viscosity can solidify within the vent, creating a volcanic plug . Volcanic plugs can trap gas and create pressure in the magma chamber, resulting in violent eruptions. Lava
2490-593: The English borrowings from Latin, Greek, and Norman French , since Chinese-borrowed terms are often more specialized, or considered to sound more erudite or formal, than their native counterparts (occupying a higher linguistic register ). The major exception to this rule is family names , in which the native kun'yomi are usually used (though on'yomi are found in many personal names, especially men's names). Kanji invented in Japan ( kokuji ) would not normally be expected to have on'yomi , but there are exceptions, such as
2573-481: The Heian period (794–1185), volcanic activity subsided and Fuji was used as a base for Shugendō , a syncretic religion combining mountain worship and Buddhism. Worshippers began to climb the slopes and by the early 12th century, Matsudai Shonin had founded a temple on the summit. Fuji-kō was an Edo period cult centred around the mountain founded by an ascetic named Hasegawa Kakugyō (1541–1646). The cult venerated
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2656-824: The Holocene Epoch (the last 11,700 years), and many older, now extinct, stratovolcanoes erupted lava as far back as Archean times. Stratovolcanoes are typically found in subduction zones but they also occur in other geological settings. Two examples of stratovolcanoes famous for catastrophic eruptions are Krakatoa in Indonesia (which erupted in 1883 claiming 36,000 lives) and Mount Vesuvius in Italy (which erupted in 79 A.D killing an estimated 2,000 people). In modern times, Mount St. Helens (1980) in Washington State , US, and Mount Pinatubo (1991) in
2739-579: The Philippines have erupted catastrophically, but with fewer deaths. Stratovolcanoes are common at subduction zones , forming chains and clusters along plate tectonic boundaries where an oceanic crust plate is drawn under a continental crust plate (continental arc volcanism, e.g. Cascade Range , Andes , Campania ) or another oceanic crust plate ( island arc volcanism, e.g. Japan , Philippines , Aleutian Islands ). Stratovolcanoes also occur in some other geological settings, for example as
2822-613: The Sino-Japanese reading, is the reading of a kanji based on the historical Chinese pronunciation of the character. A single kanji might have multiple on'yomi pronunciations, reflecting the Chinese pronunciations of different periods or regions. On'yomi pronunciations are generally classified into go-on , kan-on , tō-on and kan'yō-on , roughly based on when they were borrowed from China. Generally, on'yomi pronunciations are used for technical, compound words, while
2905-891: The magma is too viscous to allow easy escape of volcanic gases . As a consequence, the tremendous internal pressures of the trapped volcanic gases remain and intermingle in the pasty magma . Following the breaching of the vent and the opening of the crater, the magma degasses explosively. The magma and gases blast out with high speed and full force. Since 1600 CE , nearly 300,000 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions . Most deaths were caused by pyroclastic flows and lahars , deadly hazards that often accompany explosive eruptions of subduction-zone stratovolcanoes. Pyroclastic flows are swift, avalanche-like, ground-sweeping, incandescent mixtures of hot volcanic debris, fine ash , fragmented lava , and superheated gases that can travel at speeds over 150 km/h (90 mph). Around 30,000 people were killed by pyroclastic flows during
2988-443: The mantle which decreases its melting point by 60 to 100 °C. The release of water from hydrated minerals is termed " dewatering ", and occurs at specific pressures and temperatures for each mineral, as the plate descends to greater depths. This allows the mantle to partially melt and generate magma . This is called flux melting . The magma then rises through the crust , incorporating silica-rich crustal rock, leading to
3071-416: The piedmont . Scientists have identified four distinct phases of volcanic activity in the formation of Mount Fuji. The first phase, called Sen-komitake , is composed of an andesite core recently discovered deep within the mountain. Sen-komitake was followed by the " Komitake Fuji", a basalt layer believed to be formed several hundred thousand years ago. Approximately 100,000 years ago, "Old Fuji"
3154-538: The 1830s), poetry, music, theater, film, manga , anime , pottery and even Kawaii subculture. Before its explosive eruption in 1980 , Mount St. Helens was once known as "The Fuji of America", for its striking resemblance to Mount Fuji. Mount Taranaki in New Zealand is also said to bear a resemblance to Mount Fuji, and for this reason has been used as a stand-in for the mountain in films and television. Stratovolcano A stratovolcano , also known as
3237-616: The 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean . During March and April 1982, El Chichón in the State of Chiapas in southeastern Mexico , erupted 3 times, causing the worst volcanic disaster in that country's history and killied more than 2,000 people in pyroclastic flows . Two Decade Volcanoes that erupted in 1991 provide examples of stratovolcano hazards. On 15 June, Mount Pinatubo erupted and caused an ash cloud to shoot 40 km (25 mi) into
3320-485: The 1982 eruption of Galunggung in Java , British Airways Flight 9 flew into the ash cloud, causing it to sustain temporary engine failure and structural damage. Although no crashes have happened due to ash, more than 60, mostly commercial aircraft , have been damaged. Some of these incidents resulted in emergency landings. Ashfalls are a threat to health when inhaled and are also a threat to property. A square yard of
3403-490: The 2020s. In 2021, a new hazard map was created to help residents plan for evacuation, stoking fears because of its increased estimate of lava flow and additional vents. Soon afterwards, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area, sending the phrase "Mt Fuji eruption" trending on Twitter . However, the Japan Meteorological Agency assured the public the earthquake did not increase the eruption risk. In 2023,
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3486-585: The 5,321 m (17,457 ft) high Andean volcano. The ensuing lahar killed 25,000 people and flooded the city of Armero and nearby settlements. As a volcano forms, several different gases mix with magma in the volcanic chamber. During an eruption the gases are then released into the atmosphere which can lead to toxic human exposure. The most abundant of these gases is H 2 O ( water ) followed by CO 2 ( carbon dioxide ), SO 2 ( sulfur dioxide ), H 2 S ( hydrogen sulfide ), and HF ( hydrogen fluoride ). If at concentrations of more than 3% in
3569-638: The Mount Fuji locality. These 25 locations include the mountain and the Shinto shrine, Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha . The current kanji for Mount Fuji, 富 and 士 , mean "wealth" or "abundant" and "man of status" respectively. However, the origins of this spelling and of the name Fuji continue to be debated. A text of the 9th century, Tale of the Bamboo Cutter , says that the name came from "immortal" ( 不死 , fushi, fuji ) and also from
3652-819: The air, when breathed in CO 2 can cause dizziness and difficulty breathing. At more than 15% concentration CO 2 causes death. CO 2 can settle into depressions in the land, leading to deadly, odorless pockets of gas. SO 2 classified as a respiratory, skin, and eye irritant if come into contact with. It is known for its pungent egg smell and role in ozone depletion and has the potential to cause acid rain downwind of an eruption. H 2 S has an even stronger odor than SO 2 as well as being even more toxic. Exposure for less than an hour at concentrations of over 500 ppm causes death. HF and similar species can coat ash particles and once deposited can poison soil and water. Gases are also emitted during volcanic degassing, which
3735-748: The air. It produced large pyroclastic surges and lahar floods that caused a lot of damage to the surrounding area. Pinatubo , located in Central Luzon just 90 km (56 mi) west-northwest of Manila , had been dormant for six centuries before the 1991 eruption. This eruption was one of the 2nd largest in the 20th century. It produced a large volcanic ash cloud that affected global temperatures, lowering them in areas as much as .5 °C. The volcanic ash cloud consisted of 22 million tons of SO 2 which combined with water droplets to create sulfuric acid . In 1991 Japan's Unzen Volcano also erupted, after 200 years of inactivity. It's located on
3818-610: The character yama ( 山 , "mountain") used in Sino-Japanese compounds. In Nihon-shiki and Kunrei-shiki romanization , the name is transliterated as Huzi . Other Japanese names which have become obsolete or poetic include Fuji-no-Yama ( ふじの山 , "the Mountain of Fuji") , Fuji-no-Takane ( ふじの高嶺 , "the High Peak of Fuji") , Fuyō-hō ( 芙蓉峰 , "the Lotus Peak") , and Fugaku ( 富岳／富嶽 ) , created by combining
3901-592: The character 働 "to work", which has the kun'yomi " hatara(ku) " and the on'yomi " dō ", and 腺 "gland", which has only the on'yomi " sen "—in both cases these come from the on'yomi of the phonetic component, respectively 動 " dō " and 泉 " sen ". In Chinese, most characters are associated with a single Chinese sound, though there are distinct literary and colloquial readings . However, some homographs ( 多音字 ) such as 行 (Mandarin: háng or xíng , Japanese: an, gō, gyō ) have more than one reading in Chinese representing different meanings, which
3984-708: The east, Fujiyoshida to the north, Fujinomiya to the southwest, and Fuji to the south - as well as several towns and villages in the area. It is surrounded by five lakes : Lake Kawaguchi , Lake Yamanaka , Lake Sai , Lake Motosu and Lake Shōji . They, and nearby Lake Ashi in Kanagawa Prefecture , provide expansive views of the mountain. The mountain is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park . It can be seen more distantly from Yokohama, Tokyo, and sometimes as far as Chiba , Saitama , Tochigi , Ibaraki and Lake Hamana when
4067-774: The eastern part of Japan, and the Izu Peninsula respectively. The Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath these plates, resulting in volcanic activity. Mount Fuji is also located near three island arcs : the Southwestern Japan Arc , the Northeastern Japan Arc , and the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc . The Fuji triple junction is only 400 kilometres (250 mi) from the Boso Triple Junction . Fuji's main crater
4150-438: The evening of March 15, 2011, there was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake at shallow depth a few kilometres from Mount Fuji on its southern side. About 11,000 years ago, a large amount of lava began to erupt from the west side of the top of the ancient Fuji mountain. This lava formed the new Fuji which is the main body of Mount Fuji. Since then, the tops of the ancient Fuji and the new Fuji are side by side. About 2,500–2,800 years ago,
4233-509: The fifth stations are usually staffed during the climbing season, but huts below fifth stations are not usually staffed for climbers. The number of open huts on routes are proportional to the number of climbers—Yoshida has the most while Gotemba has the fewest. The huts along the Gotemba route also tend to start later and close earlier than those along the Yoshida route. Also, because Mount Fuji
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#17327730529804316-426: The final consonants of Middle Chinese. It may be that palatalized consonants before vowels other than i developed in Japanese as a result of Chinese borrowings, as they are virtually unknown in words of native Japanese origin, but are common in Chinese. Generally, on'yomi are classified into four types according to their region and time of origin: The most common form of readings is the kan-on one, and use of
4399-475: The first character of 富士 , Fuji , and 岳 , mountain . Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and has been a frequent subject of Japanese art especially after 1600, when Edo (now Tokyo) became the capital and people saw the mountain while traveling on the Tōkaidō road. According to the historian H. Byron Earhart , "in medieval times it eventually came to be seen by Japanese as the "number one" mountain of
4482-540: The flank of a volcano collapses in a massive landslide) can only trigger the eruption of a very shallow magma chamber . Magma differentiation and thermal expansion also are ineffective as triggers for eruptions from deep magma chambers . In recorded history , explosive eruptions at subduction zone ( convergent-boundary ) volcanoes have posed the greatest hazard to civilizations. Subduction-zone stratovolcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens , Mount Etna and Mount Pinatubo , typically erupt with explosive force because
4565-407: The foot of the mountain offer historical sites. The Murayama is the oldest route, and the Yoshida route still has many old shrines, teahouses, and huts along its path. These routes are gaining popularity recently and are being restored, but climbing from the foot of the mountain is still relatively uncommon. Bears that live on the mountain have been sighted along the Yoshida route. Huts at and above
4648-621: The forest's ecosystem. The closest airport with scheduled international service is Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport . It opened in June 2009. It is about 80 km (50 mi) from Mount Fuji. The major international airports serving Tokyo, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Tokyo and Narita International Airport in Chiba are approximately three hours and 15 minutes from Mount Fuji. Approximately 300,000 people climbed Mount Fuji in 2009. The most popular period for people to hike up Mount Fuji
4731-503: The form of parasitic cinder cones , ceased in 1707. The largest cone, Omuro-Yama , is one of more than 100 cones aligned NW-SE and NE-SW through the summit. Mt. Fuji also has more than 70 lava tunnels and extensive lava tree molds. Two large landslides are at the head of the Yoshida-Osawa and Osawa-Kuzure valleys. As of December 2002, the volcano is classified as active with a low risk of eruption. The last recorded eruption
4814-478: The ground. Volcanic Bombs are associated with Strombolian and Vulcanian eruptions and basaltic lava . Ejection velocities ranging from 200 to 400 m/s have been recorded causing volcanic bombs to be destructive. Lahars (from a Javanese term for volcanic mudflows) are a mixture of volcanic debris and water. Lahars can result from heavy rainfall during or before the eruption or interaction with ice and snow. Meltwater mixes with volcanic debris causing
4897-458: The high population density of the surrounding Metropolitan Naples area (totaling about 3.6 million inhabitants). In addition to potentially affecting the climate, volcanic ash clouds from explosive eruptions pose a serious hazard to aviation . Volcanic ash clouds consist of ash which is made of silt or sand sized pieces of rock, mineral, volcanic glass . Ash grains are jagged, abrasive, and don't dissolve in water. For example, during
4980-415: The highest fifth station is located at Fujinomiya, followed by Yoshida, Subashiri, and Gotemba. There are four additional routes from the foot of the mountain: Shojiko, Yoshida, Suyama, and Murayama routes. Even though it has only the second-highest fifth station, the Yoshida route is the most popular route because of its large parking area and many large mountain huts where a climber can rest or stay. During
5063-449: The image of abundant ( 富 , fu ) soldiers ( 士 , shi, ji ) ascending the slopes of the mountain. An early folk etymology claims that Fuji came from 不二 ( not + two ), meaning without equal or nonpareil . Another claims that it came from 不盡 ( not + to exhaust ), meaning never-ending . Hirata Atsutane , a Japanese classical scholar in the Edo period , speculated that
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#17327730529805146-452: The island of Kyushu about 40 km (25 mi) east of Nagasaki . Beginning in June, a newly formed lava dome repeatedly collapsed. This generated a pyroclastic flow that flowed down the mountain's slopes at speeds as high as 200 km/h (120 mph). The 1991 eruption of Mount Unzen was one of the worst volcanic disasters in Japan's history, once killing more than 15,000 people in 1792. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD
5229-524: The known world of the three countries of India, China, and Japan". The mountain is mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and is the subject of many poems. The summit has been thought of as sacred since ancient times and was therefore forbidden to women. It was not until 1872 that the Japanese government issued an edict (May 4, 1872, Grand Council of State Edict 98) stating, "Any remaining practices of female exclusion on shrine and temple lands shall be immediately abolished, and mountain climbing for
5312-536: The mountain as a female deity, and encouraged its members to climb it. In doing so they would be reborn, "purified and... able to find happiness." The cult waned in the Meiji period and although it persists to this day it has been subsumed into Shintō sects. As a national symbol of the country, the mountain has been depicted in various art media such as paintings, woodblock prints (such as Hokusai 's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji and 100 Views of Mount Fuji from
5395-488: The name is from a word meaning "a mountain standing up shapely as an ear ( 穗 , ho ) of a rice plant". British missionary John Batchelor (1855–1944) argued that the name is from the Ainu word for "fire" ( fuchi ) of the fire deity Kamui Fuchi , which was denied by a Japanese linguist Kyōsuke Kindaichi on the grounds of phonetic development ( sound change ). It is also pointed out that huchi means an "old woman" and ape
5478-407: The native kun'yomi pronunciation is used for singular, simpler words. On'yomi primarily occur in multi-kanji compound words ( 熟語 , jukugo ) , many of which are the result of the adoption, along with the kanji themselves, of Chinese words for concepts that either did not exist in Japanese or could not be articulated as elegantly using native words. This borrowing process is often compared to
5561-615: The pressure in Mount Fuji's magma chamber could be 1.6 megapascals higher than it was before its last eruption in 1707. This was interpreted by some media outlets to mean that an eruption of Mount Fuji could be imminent. However, since there is no known method of directly measuring the pressure of a volcano's magma chamber, indirect calculations of the type used by NRIESDP are speculative and unverifiable. Other indicators suggestive of heightened eruptive danger, such as active fumaroles and recently discovered faults , are typical occurrences at this type of volcano. Eruption fears continued into
5644-413: The purpose of worship, etc., shall be permitted." Tatsu Takayama, a Japanese woman, became the first woman on record to summit Mount Fuji in the fall of 1832. Ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present-day town of Gotemba . The shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame archery contests in the area in the early Kamakura period . The first ascent by
5727-402: The seventh station to near the fifth station, one could run down these ash-covered paths in approximately 30 minutes. There are also tractor routes along the climbing routes. These tractor routes are used to bring food and other materials to huts on the mountain. Because the tractors usually take up most of the width of these paths and they tend to push large rocks from the side of the path,
5810-464: The size of Mount Pinatubo affected the weather for a few years; with warmer winters and cooler summers observed. A similar phenomenon occurred in the April 1815, the eruption of Mount Tambora on Sumbawa island in Indonesia . The Mount Tambora eruption is recognized as the most powerful eruption in recorded history. Its eruption cloud lowered global temperatures as much as 0.4 to 0.7 °C. In
5893-463: The sky is clear. It has been photographed from space during a space shuttle mission. The summit of Mount Fuji has a tundra climate ( Köppen climate classification ET ). The temperature is very low at the high altitude, and the cone is covered by snow for several months of the year. The lowest recorded temperature is −38.0 °C (−36.4 °F) recorded in February 1981, and the highest temperature
5976-568: The south side of the mountain, in addition to several other locations, depending on wind direction. Several paragliding schools use the wide sandy/grassy slope between Gotemba and Subashiri parking lots as a training hill. On 1 February 2024, the Yamanashi prefectural government imposed a mandatory fee of 2,000 yen ($ 13) for hikers using the Yoshida trail beginning in the summer season as part of efforts to ease congestion and provide funding for safety protocols. It later announced that it would impose
6059-515: The summer season, most Mount Fuji climbing tour buses arrive there. The next most popular is the Fujinomiya route, which has the highest fifth station, followed by Subashiri and Gotemba. The ascent from the new fifth station can take anywhere between five and seven hours while the descent can take from three to four hours. Even though most climbers do not use the Subashiri and Gotemba routes, many descend these because of their ash-covered paths. From
6142-561: The top part of ancient Fuji caused a large-scale landslide due to weathering, and finally, only the top of Shin-Fuji remained. There are ten known eruptions that can be traced to reliable records. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake , there was speculation in the media that the shock may induce volcanic unrest at Mount Fuji. In September 2012, mathematical models created by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NRIESDP) suggested that
6225-411: The tractor paths are off-limits to the climbers on sections that are not merged with the climbing or descending paths. Nevertheless, one can sometimes see people riding mountain bikes along the tractor routes down from the summit. This is particularly risky, as it becomes difficult to control speed and may send some rocks rolling along the side of the path, which may hit other people. The four routes from
6308-413: The word may have been borrowed from Eastern Old Japanese */pu nusi/ 火主, meaning "fire master". In English, the mountain is known as Mount Fuji. Some sources refer to it as "Fuji-san", "Fujiyama" or, redundantly, "Mt. Fujiyama". Japanese speakers refer to the mountain as "Fuji-san". This "san" is not the honorific suffix used with people's names, such as Watanabe-san, but the Sino-Japanese reading of
6391-412: The world. The SO 2 in this cloud combined with water (both of volcanic and atmospheric origin) and formed sulfuric acid , blocking a portion of the sunlight from reaching the troposphere . This caused the global temperature to decrease by about 0.4 °C (0.72 °F) from 1992 to 1993. These aerosols caused the ozone layer to reach the lowest concentrations recorded at that time. An eruption
6474-514: The year following the eruption, most of the Northern Hemisphere experienced cooler temperatures during the summer. In the northern hemisphere , 1816 was known as the " Year Without a Summer ". The eruption caused crop failures, food shortages, and floods that killed over 100,000 people across Europe , Asia , and North America . On reading On'yomi ( 音読み , [oɰ̃jomi] , lit. "sound(-based) reading") , or
6557-514: Was 17.8 °C (64.0 °F) recorded in August 1942. Fuji's seasonal snowcap begins at an average date of 2 October. In 2024, the snowcap formed on 6 November, the latest-occurring since records began in 1894. Mount Fuji is located at a triple junction trench where the Amurian Plate , Okhotsk Plate , and Philippine Sea Plate meet. These three plates form the western part of Japan,
6640-570: Was active from 400,000 to 100,000 years ago and is located 20 km (12 mi) 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, but which is now almost completely buried. A large landslide on the southwest flank occurred about 18,000 years ago. Shin-Fuji (new-Fuji) eruptions in the form of lava , lapilli and volcanic ash , have occurred between 17,000 and 8,000 years ago, between 7,000 and 3,500 years ago, and between 4,000 and 2,000 years ago. Flank eruptions, mostly in
6723-517: Was formed over the top of Komitake Fuji. The modern, "New Fuji" is believed to have formed over the top of Old Fuji around 10,000 years ago. Pre-Komitake started erupting in the Middle Pleistocene in an area seven km ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi) north of Mount Fuji. After a relatively short pause, eruptions began again which formed Komitake Volcano in the same location. These eruptions ended 100,000 years ago. Ashitake Volcano
6806-522: Was replaced by a fully automated meteorological system. Mount Fuji was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. Mount Fuji is a very distinctive feature of the geography of Japan . It stands 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft) tall and is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshu , just southwest of Tokyo . It straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures . Four small cities surround it - Gotemba to
6889-531: Was the Hōei eruption which started on December 16, 1707 ( Hōei 4, 23rd day of the 11th month ), and ended about January 1, 1708 ( Hōei 4, 9th day of the 12th month ). The eruption formed a new crater and a second peak, named Mount Hōei , halfway down its southeastern side. Fuji spewed cinders and ash which fell like rain in Izu , Kai , Sagami , and Musashi . Since then, there have been no signs of an eruption. However, on
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