Which mountain is considered sacred in Japan? The mountains of Japan are the basis of the Land of the Rising Sun
Fuji or Fujiyama
The highest point in Japan is Mount Fuji or Fuji. It rises 3776 meters above sea level. Japan's highest peak is an active volcano. Although it is believed that its activity has not ceased (the last eruption was at the beginning of the sixteenth century). Mount Fuji is located at the junction of three tectonic plates: the Eurasian, Philippine and Okhotsk.
Situated on top of several ancient volcanoes, the surrounding area retains traces of violent volcanic activity, which can be divided into four stages. It was thanks to them that the highest peak in Japan acquired its modern appearance. It all started with the eruption of andesite lava, which formed the Sen-Komitake volcano. It was replaced by an eruption of basaltic rocks that created Komitake. This was the basis for “Old Fuji”, it happened about 80 thousand years ago.
Young Fuji
In Japan, the highest peak is called "Young Fuji". The young man is approximately 11 thousand years old. And about five thousand years ago, for a millennium, the volcano erupted continuously.
The slopes of Japan's highest mountain are rugged with hundreds of crevices and craters. Lava outcrops clogged the streams and rivers that originated north of the volcano, resulting in the formation of the Five Lakes of Fuji.
More than a hundred side craters and crevices opened on the slopes of the volcano. Lava flows blocked the rivers and streams, the headwaters of which were located north of the volcano, in the Misaka Mountains, and this is how the Five Lakes of Fuji arose.
The slopes of Fuji have almost ideal conical shapes, considered in Japan the standard of beauty and harmony.
Interesting things about Fuji
Today, the top of the highest mountain in Japan is crowned with a Shinto shrine, and there is also a weather station there. You can climb the mountain from the beginning of July to the end of August. This route is very popular; many tourists climb the mountain. Half of the journey can be done by bus, exploring the surrounding area. The further climb to the top takes about five hours. The ascent time depends on physical fitness and weather conditions.
Due to active construction in the Fuji area, a lot of forest is being cut down, which has worsened the ecological condition of the sacred mountain. Tourists leave behind a large amount of garbage. This problem is so serious that military units are involved in solving it.
Fuji is one of the most recognizable symbols of Japan, a sacred place, and a source of national pride for the Japanese, embodying for them a common culture, nation, country, symbolizing Beauty, Harmony, Purity.
Fuji (Fujiyama) - or Fuji for short - is a sacred mountain in Japan, which is an active stratovolcano.
Countless paintings, engravings and photographs praise its appearance. She has also been immortalized in songs and numerous haiku.
Where is Fujiyama on the map
Fuji is located on the island of Honshu, a hundred kilometers southwest of the city of Tokyo. Below is the location of this famous volcano on a map of Japan, Fuji is marked with a yellow triangle. Geographic coordinates in degrees – 35 north latitude and 138 east longitude.
Fuji photo
Fujiyama in Japan
With a height of 3776 meters, a volcano always covered with snow appears from a distance, surrounded by five lakes included in the reserve, with a size exceeding 122 thousand hectares. This is Fuji Hakone Izu National Park.
There are many opinions regarding the origin of the name of this mountain; most scientists agree that it means “fire” translated from an ancient dialect. There is a myth that the gods created the mountain in one night as their abode, like Olympus.
There are 8 ways to get to the top of the mountain. The climbing season is open in July and August, as nearby hotels, restaurants, and overnight accommodations are only open during this time.
The area around is a famous resort, beautiful nature and hot baths. You can visit Fuji and its surrounding areas by bus, on a capital city tour, or even on your own. In any case, you can walk up the mountain both at night and during the day. However, it is better to spend the night in a hotel.
The local thermal waters attract many locals and tourists. The square is surrounded by ryokans - inns and modern hotels and campsites. The cruise lift starts from Ubak, where water with a temperature of 60-70 degrees flows from a natural rock spring, which is located at an altitude of 900 meters.
The first visitors to the baths were modest Englishmen who covered themselves with towels in the common bath, which made the Japanese think that they were hiding something from them.
Video Fujiyama, Japan
The largest city in the vicinity of the lake is Osahigo Coca. The colorful cruisers cruising around the lake depart from here. It doesn't matter whether we want to climb Mount Fuji or just relax in the healing springs - tourist trips always start from the railway stations. There is an excellent golf course nearby, and fishing is possible on the Kakunagawa River. There are several eateries along the roads where you can grab a bite to eat Japanese cuisine. There are meteorological, seismic, and geological stations nearby.
This mountain is a stratovolcano consisting of various layers of solidified magma. It is considered inactive since its last eruption was in the 18th century. Below is a photo of him from above, which shows the crater of the volcano.
Article genre - Sights of Japan
Just as there are many landscape photographers who photograph the nature of different countries, there are also many photographers who only photograph Mount Fuji. And each of them is trying to move away from clichés and cliches, trying to make their works less similar to other people’s photographs. And although it seems that it is impossible to photograph a mountain in a new way, these photographers still manage to add individuality to their photographs - and we invite you to see how they do it.
Fuji is an active stratovolcano on the Japanese island of Honshu, 90 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The height of the volcano is 3776 m (the highest in Japan). Currently, the volcano is considered weakly active, the last eruption was in 1707-1708.
The mountain has an almost perfect conical outline and is considered sacred, serves as an object of tourism, as well as religious pilgrimage of the Buddhist and Shinto cults. Fuji has been a popular theme in Japanese art for centuries. 
Today, the summit of Fuji is home to a Shinto shrine, a post office and a weather station. The surrounding area of the mountain is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
The classic image of the sacred Mount Fuji is a smoking volcano with a sharp peak, forever covered with ice. The Japanese considered it the mountain of Taoist immortals; the rising smoke supposedly came from the elixir of immortality lit in the crater. Anyone who conquers the peak will gain this immortality. 
According to historian and Japanese scholar Alexander Meshcheryakov, this image of Fuji, glorified in literature and fine arts, is very different from the real one.
“When the Edo period artist gave life to his panel by painting “True View of Mount Fuji,” he did not mean that his painting should closely resemble the real mountain. Rather, it was a “true view” depicting its beautiful form so that people could see what Mount Fuji should be like.”
Mount Fuji is a popular tourist destination in Japan and abroad. From July 1 to August 27, there are rescue centers and numerous yamagoya (mountain huts) on the mountain, where you can buy food and drinks, as well as relax on sleeping shelves. Therefore, this period is considered the safest and most convenient for climbing. The rest of the time, the top of Fuji is covered with a thick layer of snow. Also, at the beginning of the season, some routes where there is still snow may be closed. 
Mount Fuji is a national park, so throwing away garbage is strictly prohibited, as constantly reminded by signs placed all the way to the top. At the beginning of the climb, everyone is given a free bag for any trash they see. During the climb, when buying a bottle of water, shops allow you to throw away one empty bottle. 
One of the symbols of the Land of the Rising Sun is Fuji, the sacred mountain of Japan. This is a volcano considered “young”. The mountain attracts locals and tourists with its almost perfect proportions. Every self-respecting samurai is obliged to climb it at least once in his life, but that was in the past. Today, every resident of Japan strives to visit the sacred mountain at least once in his life. Representatives of two main religions live in Japan. They all consider the mountain their shrine. They respectfully call her Fujisan 富士山.
- Who gave the name Fuji?
Experts are still arguing about the origin of the name. The volcano is covered with many legends. This mountain was chosen as a symbol in ancient times; monks and ordinary people came here. Scientists suggest that Fuzdi comes from the word “immortality.” In any case, there is a hint of this in a literary work dating back to the 10th century. In the Edo era, it was written that the name is associated with a hieroglyph meaning “a mountain standing slender like a spike of rice.”
Some experts have suggested that Fuji is the word of the Ainu people. People of this kind lived many centuries ago in this territory, but were forced out. They still have the term “futi”, translated as fire. However, official linguists argue with this theory. They believe that in entomology the word is closer to one of the Japanese languages - Yamato. It has the same root as the term translated as rainbow.
By the way, more is known about the age of the volcano. It originated 11 thousand years ago. It was "Young Fuji". Crevices formed on its surface, spewing lava. They blocked the river sources. Over time, the now famous Five Lakes of Fuji arose near the volcano.
- Tales of Woe
The Japanese have their own idea about the origin of the archipelago. They are sure that the gods created it out of chaos. One of the first to be created was the one on which the sacred mountain is located. At its top, according to Zionist beliefs, lived the God of the Universe.
The Japanese are sure that Fujiyama was born among the fire and will die in its flames. This probably means that subconsciously they understand that an explosion is inevitable.
Interestingly, the population of the archipelago rarely talks about the volcanic problems of their symbol. They prefer to depict the mountain as calm, shrouded in fog, sleeping peacefully. This is exactly the kind of Fuji that artists depict and poets sing about. In legends, it seems to be a place of wisdom, even immortality, but not death from a raging flame.
Fuji was deified by the Ainu, many centuries ago. It was customary for them to worship the fire goddess of the same name. According to their myths, the deity lived inside the mountain. The descendants of the ancient Ainu still live in the north of the country. They still consider the mountain holy.
Fans of Shintoism endow all natural phenomena and objects with divine qualities. Mountains occupy a special place in their beliefs. And Fuji is the first among them.
Climbing a mountain is for the strong in spirit. After all, supporters of Shintoism are sure that it is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. By climbing Mount Fuji you can get closer to the Creator. This cannot be done just like that, without lengthy preparation. Believers have been carrying out spiritual work for a long time in order to achieve a state that allows them to come to the Creator.
It is interesting that approximately 200 thousand people climb Mount Fuji every year, only 30% of them are foreigners. Among the summit conquerors there are many elderly people. They go to the sanctuary, which was built on the slope long ago and is still in operation.
It is believed that the temple was erected by order of the Emperor. The local population always began to worry when the volcano became active. The last time this happened was in 1707–1708. The sanctuary was built to pacify the wrath of the gods.
- Stories of the birth and curse of the mountain
The attitude towards Mount Fuji clearly demonstrates the unbreakable connection between tradition and modernity in the life of the Japanese. These people have always lived in common rhythms with nature. The Japanese can contemplate their favorite slopes for a long time. At this time, they are imbued with calmness and tranquility, inducing in themselves a state of enlightened detachment.
There is a myth according to which Fuji appeared overnight. This event took place in 285 AD. However, the fate of the volcano was not always happy. In the work of N.A. Iofan “Culture of Ancient Japan” describes a legend talking about the curse of the beautiful mountain. He found this material in the work “Description of the Lands of Hitachi” (original title: “Hitachi Fudoki”), dated to the 8th century.
Once the Great Ancestor - Mioya-gami no Mikoto - wandered around the country. He wandered onto Mount Fuji. This happened on the eve of the Niiname holiday, which is what autumn thanksgiving is called. Evening came. The Great Ancestor asked the Mountain Spirit for permission to spend the night. However, he had no time, he was preparing for the celebrations. Then Mioya-gami no Mikoto placed a curse on Fuji. He bound the volcano with snow forever, so that none of the people could climb to the top and serve the inhospitable Spirit.
- Spirit of the Mountain
There are still fans of Fuji in Japan. They call the spirit by the name Sengen Daibosatsu. He is considered a patron in everyday affairs, in which financial matters occupy a special place. The spirit of the volcano is sometimes called Asama or Kono-ha-na Sakuyahime. Translated, the latter means “princess who makes trees bloom.” Shinto legend has it that a princess floats above the peak on a luminous cloud. She makes sure that the sacred symbol is not contaminated with filth.
The traditional one also has the image of Fujisan. He is represented by a young girl wearing a wide-brimmed hat. She holds a wisteria branch on her shoulder. The girl's name is Fuji-hime. This is how the names of mountain and wisteria are intertwined. At first, the “dance of the girl with wisteria” was introduced into the repertoire of the Kabuki theater. Subsequently, it migrated to engravings, paintings, and doll makers began to use it.
The Japanese associate the symbolism of the sacred mountain with such fundamental concepts as nation, divine purity, pristine beauty, harmony. In their perception, it is also inseparable from their own Motherland.
In Japanese culture, this is one of the most significant symbols. Local residents believe that it brings prosperity for the entire period! There is even such a special tradition. You need to fill all the containers in the house with water and go to bed on New Year's Eve. If you see Fujisan, you will find true happiness!
In the spring of 2016, a unique drone show took place at the foot of Mount Fuji. To the accompaniment of mesmerizing music, 20 drones performed a space ballet.
When asked what is the most beautiful thing in the Land of the Rising Sun, any Japanese will answer with the same word: “Fuji!”
This mountain, the highest in Japan (3776 meters), has been deified by the inhabitants of the island of Honshu since ancient times. The word Fuji itself is only half Japanese and means "Mount Fuji".
The mysterious and ancient Ainu people, who once inhabited Honshu, Hokkaido, and the Kuril Islands, gave the mountain the name of their goddess of fire, and the Japanese retained the Ainu name.
The almost perfect, slightly truncated cone of Fuji is truly very beautiful. For many centuries it has inspired poets and artists; for many hundreds of years people have been climbing the steep path to its top to pay tribute to the national shrine, which, without a doubt, is Fuji.
The great poet Basho, who lived in the 17th century, dedicated more than one poem to the sacred mountain. His haiku tercets have survived centuries, and every Japanese schoolchild can, without thinking, recite to you by heart, for example:
The clouds swelled with rain.
Just above the ridge of the foothills
Fuji turns white in the snow...
Fog and autumn rain.
But let Fuji be invisible,
How she gladdens the heart!
And the wonderful artist Hokusai, a century later, Basho immortalized his beloved mountain in a series of engravings: “36 views of Mount Fuji” and “100 views of Mount Fuji”. A reproduction of one of these prints hangs in every Japanese home.
The main religion of Japan - Shintoism - declared Fuji one of the main places of veneration and worship. Therefore, every Japanese considers it his duty to climb the sacred mountain at least once in his life.
There is a winding path to the top of Fuji with ten sites - rest stations. Pilgrims buy bamboo poles with bells at the foot of the mountain, which should help during the difficult and long climb.
At each station, the traveler will have a special mark burned on his staff as a sign that he has reached the next stage. Some, especially older Japanese, make several attempts before achieving their cherished goal.
At the very top, next to the Fuji crater, a Shinto temple was built, where monks offer prayers to the gods, simultaneously selling souvenirs to tourists and pilgrims.
Many tourists from abroad, for whom visiting the mountain is just an exotic entertainment, begin their climb immediately from the fifth station, where the road is built.
But even for them, storming the almost four-kilometer peak is a difficult test of muscle strength and fortitude.
The volcano's crater is a depression with jagged edges, 500 meters in diameter and 200 meters deep. Its slightly wavy outline resembles a lotus flower.
Eight rocky ridges, covered with snow, protrude into the crater. The people gave them the poetic name Yaksuda-Fuji ("Eight Petals of Fuji").
The upper part of the slope of the volcanic mountain is very steep (up to forty-five degrees), and below Fuji it becomes more gentle. Its base looks like a giant circle with a perimeter of 126 kilometers.
From the north, Fuji is bordered by a garland of five picturesque lakes, adding even greater beauty to the surrounding landscape. The mountain is especially beautiful in the spring, when the Japanese cherry blossoms bloom.
The pink foam of the gardens, the blue sky and water, the green of the pine trees in the lower belt of the mountain and the white snow cone of its top merge into a unique symphony of lines and colors, as if straight out of an engraving by Hokusai.
However, the volcano is beautiful at any time of the year and in any weather.
And a great artist could probably paint not a hundred, but five hundred views of Fuji - now pink in the dawn rays, now reflected in the blue bowl of the lake, now as a gray ghost peeping through the fog, now covered with a thick cap of clouds...
According to the Japanese chronicle legend, the gods created Fuji in one night in 286 BC, and in the place where they took land for the mountain, Lake Biwa was formed, the only large lake in the country, located near its ancient capital Kyoto.
In fact, the volcano is, of course, much older. Geologists estimate its age at eight to ten thousand years. But at the base of Fuji lies an older extinct volcano, sixty thousand years old, and it, in turn, grew on the site of an even more ancient volcano, three hundred thousand years old.
Being the youngest and most active of the three, Fuji regularly demonstrates his formidable temperament. Chronicles recorded eighteen eruptions of Japan's main volcano. The strongest of them were in 800, 864 and 1707. Fuji was especially raging in 1707. Then even Tokyo, located one hundred kilometers northeast of the volcano, was covered with a layer of ash fifteen centimeters thick.
Now the mighty giant is dozing, only faint wisps of smoke in the crater reminding him that his strength has not yet run out. There is snow on the slopes of its slender, slightly concave cone for ten months of the year, and even in the summer the snowfields do not melt on the northern slopes.
The ancient pilgrim path still retains its original appearance today. True, many, as already mentioned, now begin their ascent from the fifth station, from the very border of the pine forests, but even this final, most difficult stage of the ascent allows you to experience unforgettable sensations.
And although Fuji is not an object of cult for foreign guests, the difficult path to the top and the view from the top really, in some incomprehensible way, attune thoughts and feelings to a bright, solemn mood.
