Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft). An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 170708, Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.

It is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. The current kanji for Mount Fuji, and , mean 'wealth' or 'abundant' and 'a man with a certain status' respectively. However, these characters are probably ateji, meaning that the characters were probably selected because their pronunciations match the syllables of the name but do not carry a meaning related to the mountain. The origin of the name Fuji is unclear. A text of the 10th century Tale of the Bamboo Cutter says that the name came from "immortal" and also from the image of abundant (, fu) soldiers (, shi, ji) ascending the slopes of the mountain. An early folk etymology claims that Fuji came from, meaning without equal or nonpareil. Another claims that it came from , meaning neverending.