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At 3,776 meters tall, Mount Fuji is the
highest mountain on the island of Honshu and all of Japan. It straddles
Shizuoka and
Yamanashi prefectures in central Japan just west of
Tokyo, from
whence it can be seen on a clear day. The mountain is a composite volcano.
A sacred mountain since ancient times,
Mt. Fuji's summit was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era. Now it is a
popular tourist destination and common destination for mountain-climbing.
The yearly "official" mountain climbing season is from the start of July to
the end of August. Most climb during the night to watch the sun rise in the
morning.
Mt. Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone
and a frequent subject of Japanese art. The most renowned work is Ukiyo-e
painter Hokusai's masterpiece 36 views of Mt. Fuji. It is also mentioned in
Japanese literature throughout the ages and the subject of many poems.
 The volcano is currently dormant but last
erupted in 1707 during the Edo period. At this time, a new crater along the
with a second peak, named Hoeizan after the era name, formed halfway down
its side.
After the rise of the samurai in the feudal Japanese Middle Ages (12th
and 16th centuries), the current kanji for "Fuji" came into use. Fu (富)
means wealth while ji (士) is "samurai". San (山) means mountain.
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