Japan is home to Mount Fuji, the stratovolcano and national symbol.
Mount Fuji rises to 3,776.24 metres on Honshu, Japan’s largest island, between the prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka. Its nearly symmetrical cone is a familiar subject in Japanese art, including Katsushika Hokusai’s ukiyo-e series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
Fuji is an active volcano, though it has not erupted since 1707. That eruption, known as the Hōei eruption, deposited ash over areas including Edo, present-day Tokyo. The mountain’s shape reflects repeated volcanic construction, with the current cone forming over older volcanic structures.
Mount Fuji has religious significance in both Shinto and Buddhism. Pilgrims have climbed it for centuries, and a formal climbing season is generally held during the warmer summer months. UNESCO added the mountain and related cultural sites to its World Heritage List in 2013, describing it as an object of worship and a source of artistic inspiration.