Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain, a stratovolcano on Honshu that last erupted in 1707–1708. Its distinctive form and long religious and artistic history make it a sacred national symbol.

Stratovolcano: A steep-sided volcano built from successive layers of lava, ash, and other eruptive material. Fuji’s symmetrical cone was built by repeated eruptions that formed a classic stratovolcano.
Subduction: The descent of one tectonic plate beneath another into Earth’s mantle. Subduction helps generate magma beneath the region where Fuji stands.
Fuji-kō: A Japanese religious confraternity whose members worship Mount Fuji and organize pilgrimages to it. These groups made Fuji worship a shared practice beyond the mountain’s immediate surroundings.
Climbing Mount Fuji: The seasonal ascent of Mount Fuji by hikers using established mountain routes. Modern climbing continues a long tradition of reaching Fuji’s summit.
Mount Tate: A prominent mountain in Japan’s Hida range and one of the Three Holy Mountains of Japan. Tate shares Fuji’s sacred status but belongs to a different mountain range and landscape.
Fuji Volcanic Zone: A volcanic region of central Japan associated with the subduction of oceanic plates beneath the Japanese archipelago. Fuji’s magma supply is linked to the complex plate boundaries beneath this region.
Magma chamber: An underground region where molten rock can accumulate beneath a volcano. Stored magma can contribute to renewed activity beneath Fuji.
Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha: A Shinto shrine in Fujinomiya that serves as the head shrine of the Sengen shrine network. Its worship is closely tied to Mount Fuji and its volcanic power.
Fujinomiya Trail: A climbing route on Mount Fuji that begins at the Fujinomiya Fifth Station on the mountain’s southwest side. It offers a direct route from Shizuoka Prefecture to Fuji’s summit.
Mount Haku: A mountain in the Hida range and one of the Three Holy Mountains of Japan. Haku completes the traditional trio with Fuji and Tate, despite its distinct setting.

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