Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the sacred symbol of Japan, a near-perfect volcanic cone rising alone to 3,776 metres, the highest mountain in the country, its snow-capped summit an object of reverence and artistic inspiration for centuries. A UNESCO site, it is most beautiful admired from afar, mirrored in the Fuji Five Lakes or framed by cherry blossom and pagodas, and is climbed by many thousands over the short summer season.

History

The summit has been sacred since ancient times and was long forbidden to women: Tatsu Takayama is the first woman on record to reach it, in the autumn of 1832, and an edict of 4 May 1872 abolished the exclusion of women from shrine and temple lands. Samurai trained at the mountain's foot, and in the early Kamakura period the shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame archery contests there; after 1600, when Edo became the capital and travellers saw the mountain from the Tōkaidō road, it became a favourite subject of Japanese art. Its last eruption, the Hōei eruption, began on 16 December 1707 and ended about 1 January 1708, opening a new crater and a second peak, Mount Hōei, on the southeastern flank. Sir Rutherford Alcock made the first ascent by a foreigner in September 1860, Lady Fanny Parkes was the first non-Japanese woman to the top, in 1867, and on 22 June 2013 Fuji was added to the World Heritage List as a cultural site (Wikipedia, Mount Fuji).

What you'll find

• The classic views - the cone mirrored in the Fuji Five Lakes.
• Chureito Pagoda - the pagoda framing Fuji, iconic in blossom season.
• The summit climb - the ascent in the short summer climbing season.
• Hakone and the lakes - the hot-spring resorts with mountain views.

When to go

For views, autumn and winter offer the clearest air and the best chance to see the often cloud-hidden peak; for climbing, only the short official season of July to early September. Dawn and dusk give the loveliest light on the mountain.

Practical notes

The peak is famously shy, often veiled in cloud, so a clear view is never guaranteed, especially in summer haze; autumn and winter mornings are clearest. The summer climb is crowded, cold and tougher than it looks, best done overnight to catch the sunrise, and altitude affects some.

Nearby

The Fuji Five Lakes, the Hakone hot springs and Tokyo are within reach.

Key facts