Aerial view of Mt Fuji crater

Symbol of Japan, sacred place (one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains”), Special Place of Scenic Beauty, Historic Site of Japan, inspiration of countless artworks, paintings, poems, photographs… Located on Honshu Island, about 100 km south-west of Tokyo, is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft).

Mount Fuji is an active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08. The large stratovolcano overlies several older volcanoes, whose remnants form irregularities on Fuji’s symmetrical profile, including Komitake and Ko-Fuji (Older Fuji) which was active 100,000 – 10,000 years ago. The base of the volcano is about 125 km in circumference and has a diameter of some 40 to 50 km. At the summit of Mount Fuji the crater spans about 500 metres in surface diameter and sinks to a depth of about 250 metres. Around the jagged edges of the crater are eight peaks—Oshaidake, Izudake, Jojudake, Komagatake, Mushimatake, Kengamme, Hukusandake, and Kukushidake.

Mount Fuji can be seen from Tokyo on a clear day.