Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san?, IPA: [ɸɯʥisaɴ]) is the...

Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san?, IPA: [ɸɯʥisaɴ]) is the highest mountain in Japan. It straddles the boundary between the prefectures of Shizuoka and Yamanashi just west of Tokyo, from which it can be seen on a clear day. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshu.

Mount Fuji is a well-known symbol of Japan and is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.

It is thought that the first ascent was in 663 by an anonymous monk. A sacred mountain since ancient times, Mt. Fuji's summit was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era. Today, it is a popular tourist destination and common destination for mountain-climbing (see below).

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.

Mt. Fuji also houses a warrior tradition: ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. As of 2005, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps operate military bases near Mount Fuji.

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Carlos Moreira

Added: May 24, 2006
Date produced: 2004
Producer: Carlos Moreira
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