13 Fascinating Insights About Mount Fuji

As Japan's most celebrated natural wonder, Mount Fuji captivates with its majestic presence. Towering at 12,388 feet (3776 meters), it reigns as the nation's tallest peak. Its iconic, perfectly symmetrical cone, often adorned with a pristine layer of snow, is visible from vast distances and famously featured on the ¥1000 banknote. This breathtaking scenery has cemented Mount Fuji's status as one of the planet's most famous mountains. Its cultural and natural significance was recognized in 2013 when it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Discover some intriguing details about this magnificent mountain.

1. The etymology of Fuji is a subject of much scholarly discussion.

In the Japanese language, the mountain is commonly referred to as Fujisan or Fujiyama, where both san and yama translate to 'mountain.' The kanji characters for Mount Fuji, 富士山, are interpreted today as representing 'wealth' (富) and 'a person of stature' (士). 

The name has existed for millennia, yet the true origin of Fuji remains shrouded in mystery. One theory traces back to the 9th or 10th-century tale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, where an elixir of life is set ablaze on the mountain’s summit, earning it the name fushi (不死, meaning 'not death' or 'immortal'). Another hypothesis suggests it stems from the Ainu word for 'fire' (fuchi), linked to the fire goddess Fuuchi-Kamuy [PDF].

2. Mount Fuji is classified as an active volcano.

While the likelihood of an imminent eruption is low, Mount Fuji’s activity within the past 10,000 years qualifies it as an active volcano. Its most recent eruption occurred in 1707, over three centuries ago. Although no lava was emitted, the volcano spewed 800 million cubic meters of ash, blanketing areas as far as Edo (present-day Tokyo), approximately 60 miles away. Concerns about future eruptions arise with each earthquake. In recent years, Japan’s National Police Agency has been preparing for a potential eruption, despite the absence of recent signs suggesting an imminent event.

Mount Fuji is a key component of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast, horseshoe-shaped belt encompassing 452 volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. This region is home to 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes and witnesses approximately 90% of global earthquakes. Fuji’s foundation lies at the convergence of three tectonic plates—the Amur Plate, Okhotsk Plate, and Philippine Plate.

3. While Mount Fuji appears to be a single mountain, it is actually composed of three distinct volcanic layers.

According to legend, Fuji was formed in a single night by an earthquake in 286 BCE. However, geologists argue that its origins are far older. The mountain is built upon three volcanic peaks, with the earliest forming approximately 700,000 years ago. Komitake, now part of Fuji’s northern slope, and Ashitaka, which lies beneath its southeastern base, serve as the mountain’s foundation. Around 100,000 years ago, Ko Fuji (Old Fuji) emerged atop Komitake. The current visible peak, Shin Fuji (Young or New Fuji), began forming between 11,000 to 8000 years ago, making it relatively young in geological terms.

The base of Mount Fuji spans approximately 25 to 30 miles in diameter. Its summit crater measures 1600 feet across and is encircled by eight peaks: Oshaidake, Izudake, Jojudake, Komagatake, Mushimatake, Kengamine, Hukusandake, and Kusushidake.

4. Fuji’s ascent is measured in stations rather than feet or meters.

During the official climbing season, which lasts from early July to mid-September, climbers track their progress using stations (or stages). The climb is divided into 10 stations, starting at the base and culminating at the summit. Most climbers begin their journey from one of the four fifth stations, accessible by paved roads, located on different sides of the mountain.

Typically, 200,000 to 300,000 people ascend the mountain annually. However, adverse weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly reduced this number in recent years. In 2021, fewer than 80,000 climbers reached the summit.

5. The summit of Mount Fuji is privately owned.

While most of Mount Fuji is public land, the area above the eighth station (10,663 feet) is privately owned by Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha, a Shinto shrine. This land was donated to the shrine in 1606 by Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which governed Japan from 1603 to 1868.

During the Meiji era in the 1860s, Fuji and other shrine lands were nationalized. Although most properties were returned in 1949, Fuji remained under government control. After a lengthy legal battle, the Sengen Shrine reclaimed ownership in 1974, and the summit was officially returned in 2004. However, the shrine faces a unique challenge: the land cannot be registered as private property due to the unclear prefectural boundary between Shizuoka and Yamanashi on Fuji.

6. Beyond its cultural significance, Mount Fuji holds deep spiritual importance.

Mount Fuji, alongside Mount Tate and Mount Haku, forms Japan’s Three Holy Mountains. For centuries, it has held profound spiritual significance in Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. In Shinto belief, Fuji’s kami (“deity”) is Asama Ohkami, who embodies the volcano goddess Konohana-no-sakuyahime, also revered as the blossom princess.

At the summit lies the Okumiya shrine, part of Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha, making it Japan’s highest shrine. Numerous shrines dedicated to Fuji are scattered around its base and across the country. One of the most iconic views of Fuji is from the Chureito Pagoda, situated within Arakura Sengen Shrine in the Fuji Five Lakes region.

Every year in late August, the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine celebrates the Yoshida Fire Festival. During this event, 70 flaming torches illuminate Fujiyoshida’s main street, leading to the mountain’s base. This centuries-old tradition is believed to appease Fuji’s spirit and prevent volcanic eruptions.

7. Women were prohibited from climbing Mount Fuji until the year 1872.

Until 1872, many religious sites in Japan, including Mount Fuji, barred women from entry. This changed when the Japanese government issued an edict [PDF]. Decades earlier, Tatsu Takayama defied the ban, becoming the first recorded woman to reach Fuji’s summit. The ban sparked significant debate and was briefly lifted in 1860. Although the government abolished the restriction, some places, like Mount Omine, still enforce it, citing concerns that women might distract male monks from their ascetic practices.

8. A small post office operates at the summit of Mount Fuji.

For climbers seeking a tangible reminder of their ascent, a small post office at Fuji’s summit offers a unique postmark for letters and postcards. In 2017, approximately 97,000 items were mailed from this location, all transported down the mountain using a rugged crawler tractor. Another cherished souvenir is a wooden walking stick stamped at various trailside huts.

For those who favor digital keepsakes, Wi-Fi is available at the summit, allowing climbers to instantly share their triumphant photos on social media.

9. Scattered throughout Tokyo are miniature replicas of Mount Fuji, known as Fujizuka.

During the Edo period, the Fujiko religion emerged, mandating its followers to climb Mount Fuji annually as a spiritual journey. For those unable to make the climb due to age, health, or past gender restrictions, miniature replicas called Fujizuka were constructed across Tokyo.

Nearly 800 Fujizuka were built, though only about 60 remain today, with some inaccessible for climbing. These replicas vary in height from a few feet to 50 feet and are designed to mimic the real mountain, often featuring markers representing the 10 stations. Many are constructed using rocks from Fuji itself, such as the Fujizuka at Mizuinari Shrine, which is entirely made of Fuji stones. A torii gate typically marks the entrance, symbolizing the transition from the mundane to the sacred.

10. Retiree Jitsukawa Yoshinobu holds the record for the most ascents of Mount Fuji.

There’s a popular saying that “a wise person climbs Mount Fuji once; a fool climbs it twice.” However, Jitsukawa Yoshinobu defied this adage, achieving more ascents than anyone else. By spring 2020, at the age of 76, he had climbed the mountain an astonishing 2060 times. He began his climbing journey at 42, but retirement allowed him to intensify his efforts. “After I stopped working, I started climbing to the summit twice a day,” Jitsukawa shared. He maintained this rigorous routine for 75 consecutive days. In contrast, most climbers take five to 10 hours to ascend and an additional three to four hours to descend.

11. Aokigahara, often referred to as the “suicide forest,” is located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji.

Beneath the grandeur of Mount Fuji lies the dense Aokigahara forest, infamous for having one of the highest suicide rates globally, second only to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Despite its dark reputation, the forest is also a place of stunning natural beauty, home to the remarkable Narusawa Ice Cave near Fuji’s base.

12. The foothills of Mount Fuji once housed the headquarters of a doomsday cult, later replaced by an unsuccessful theme park.

The doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo set up its base in Kamikuishiki, near Mount Fuji. In 1995, police raided the facility following the group’s Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, which resulted in 13 deaths and nearly 6000 injuries.

Two years after the raid, Fuji Gulliver’s Kingdom theme park opened on the site to revitalize the area’s reputation. However, it closed after just four years. Meanwhile, another theme park, Fuji-Q Highland, continues to thrive at Fuji’s base.

13. Under certain conditions, Mount Fuji is referred to as Red Fuji, Diamond Fuji, and Pearl Fuji.

During specific seasons and under particular weather conditions, Mount Fuji takes on extraordinary appearances. In early autumn, the rising or setting sun can cast a red hue over the mountain, earning it the name Red Fuji. This rare phenomenon inspired Hokusai’s 19th-century woodblock print, South Wind, Clear Sky, part of the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which also includes the iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

At certain times, the sun aligns perfectly with Fuji’s peak, creating a dazzling effect known as Diamond Fuji. When the moon produces a similar alignment, it is referred to as Pearl Fuji.