Mount Fuji, with an elevation rise of 12,388 feet, is the 35th most prominent mountain in the world. It has a circumference of 78 miles and a diameter of 30 miles. Its crater is 820 feet deep and has a surface diameter of 1,600 feet.
Mount Fuji has long been a sacred mountain. The native Ainu revered the great peak. Shintoists consider the peak sacred to the goddess Sengen-Sama, who embodies nature, while the Fujiko sect believes the mountain is a being with a soul. A shrine to Sengen-Sama is on the summit. Japanese Buddhists believe the mountain is the gateway to a different world. Mount Fuji, Mount Tate, and Mount Haku are Japan's "Three Holy Mountains."
Mount Fuji, one of the world's most beautiful mountains, is Japan's most popular attraction. It's loved for its beauty and symmetry, and has been painted and photographed by generations of artists. Springtime is perhaps the most beautiful time of the year to see Fuji. The snow-covered mountain is framed by pink cherry blossoms, giving Fuji the name Konohana-Sakuahime, which means "causing the blossom to brightly bloom."
Mount Fuji is the most climbed mountain in the world with over 100,000 people trekking to the summit every year. Unlike many sacred mountains, people make pilgrimages to climb the peak. About 30% of climbers are foreigners, with the rest Japanese.
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Jeff Carter
