Mount Fuji lies about 70 miles west of Tokyo, Japan. Lakes surround the volcano, which is located in a national park. Mount Fuji can be seen from Tokyo on clear days.
Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan. It has a height of 12,388 feet; for several months out of the year, snow covers its conical summit.
People consider the mountain to be sacred, being named after Buddhist fire goddess Fuchi. At the summit sits a shrine to the Shinto goddess Senjen-Sama. Buddhists believe it is a gateway into another world.
Geologists figure Mount Fuji's age to be about 600,000 years, putting its birth in the Pleistocene epoch. The volcano last erupted in 1707.
Peak climbing months include July and August. These are the months when there is no snow on the mountain, making for an easier climb.
