Japan is home to Mount Fuji, the country’s highest mountain at 3,776 metres. The nearly symmetrical stratovolcano stands on Honshu, Japan’s largest island, near the boundary of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures.
Mount Fuji is an active volcano, although it has not erupted since 1707. That eruption lasted for more than two weeks and created the Hoei crater on the mountain’s southeastern flank. Fuji’s distinctive cone has made it a major subject in Japanese art, especially in prints such as Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
The mountain has religious significance in both Shinto and Buddhism. Its official climbing season usually runs during summer, when snow is limited and mountain facilities are open. Mount Fuji, the Fuji Five Lakes region, and nearby cultural sites form part of the UNESCO-listed Fujisan cultural property, inscribed in 2013.