If you think of Japan’s landscape, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? I believe that I can guess your answer already. We published a short series of articles that deal with Japanese symbols lately, culturally and historically. Today though, we will look at Japan’s biggest national symbol. Literally. A rock that defines the Japanese geographical landscape and at the same time acts as an anchor for the Japanese culture and tradition: The mighty and incredibly important Mount Fuji (富士山)

Mount Fuji is located on Honshu, and the highest mountain of Japan at 3,776.24 meter. Mount Fuji isn’t just a mountain but actually a volcano that last erupted in 1707. Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometres south-west of Tokyo and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji’s exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is snow-capped several months a year, is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.

Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains”, along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. It is also a special place of scenic beauty and one of Japan’s Official historic sites. It was added to the World Heritage list as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. Per UNESCO, Mount Fuji has “inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries”. UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest within the Mt. Fuji locality. These 25 locations include the mountain itself. Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art, especially after 1600, when Edo (now Tokyo) became the actual capital and people saw the mountain while traveling. Today, Mount Fuji is an international destination for tourism and mountain climbing.

A well-known Japanese saying suggests that a wise person will climb Mt. Fuji once in their lifetime, but only a fool would climb it twice.
Have you ever seen Mount Fuji peaking through the clouds while on a flight? There are guided tours to ascend the mountain so if you’re looking for a spiritual adventure, Mount Fuji might be the one!

P.S.: Seeing the first sunrise of the new year from the summit of Mount Fuji is said to be one of the most beautiful things nature has to offer.