The most famous place in Japan is Mount Fuji. It is also well-known all over the world. It is the highest mountain peak in Japan having a summit elevation of 12380 feet. It is located on the Honshu island in Japan. It is also called Fujiyama or Fujisan. According to Hokkaido aboriginal meaning “Fuji” means fire whereas “San” means mountain. So, “Fuji-San” means mountain of fire. However, the mountain is widely known as Mount Fuji around the world.
According to Japanese folk history, it was created by an earthquake in 286 BC but according to researchers it was created at least 2.6 million years ago and the ridge was formed 7 lac years ago. It is composed of three volcanoes. It is located only one hundred kilometers from Tokyo. Its peak is clearly spotted on a sunny day even from Tokiyo. On its northern slopes, there are five lakes known as Five Fuji Lakes located at the base of Mount Fuji created by the previous eruption of the volcano itself.
Its bottom circumference is about 125 km having a diameter of about 30 kilometers. It is the second-highest volcano in Asia after Mount Kerinci of Sumatra which is originally a stratovolcano. It is a conical-shaped mountain made up of alternating layers of hardened lava through pyroclastic flow. The crater of the volcano is symmetric which is the result of the violent volcanic eruption and amalgamation of lava and rock. This very part remains covered with snow for several months of the year.
Three tectonic plates converge under this mountain. According to the geoscientists, it can explode at any time. But every five hundred years there is a
major eruption here. The last eruption took place in 1707. Volcanic ashes from the latest eruption also fell on the city of Tokiyo. A major eruption in the future is likely to submerge the entire city of Tokyo.
To the Japanese, it is not just a mountain, it is a part of Japanese national heritage. It was recognised as a world heritage site in 2003. Fuji is one of the three holy mountains in Japan. Followers of the Japanese Shinto religion have venerated this site in spiritual pursuits since 7 7th century. There are Shinto shrines at the base and summit of Mount Fuji. Every year in summer many Japanese make a pilgrimage to the mountain top.
This ice-covered dormant volcano has been featured many times in Japanese art. It is also widely known to the mountaineers all over the world. In 663, a monk conquered Mount Fuji for the first time. About three lac mountaineers visit it every year of which about two lac can climb it. Watching the sunrise from the top of Mount Fuji from the country of sunrise is very thrilling. For this many people spend the night on the mountaintop to enjoy the magnificent view of sunrise.
This year the iconic mount has turned into a living warning of global warming. It remained snowless longer than ever before. Its being snowless breaks 130 years record. According to reports the volcano snow cap begins forming on 2 October on average. The snow forming began at last after much awaiting. It is a clear sign of climate shifting, experts stated. Thus it is also contributing to raising awareness about climate change worldwide.
