It is Japan's highest peak and the most beautiful—it is the mountain of all mountains. Mount Fuji is just about in the middle of the Japanese , and on a clear day you can see it from Tokyo, 130 km to the east. Its majestic profile can be seen more than 300 km away, from the top of Mount Myoho in Wakayama Prefecture. It rises 3,776 meters about sea level, making it the 29th tallest volcano in the world. And its diameter is about 38 km north-south, 39 km east-west, when measured at the foot. It is a beautiful, almost perfect cone, and the beauty is made complete with lakes dammed by lava flows, rivers, ponds and marshes fed by fast-flowing springs, and a dense, mature forest covering the lava plateau around its foot. The area is also rich in wildlife and natural vegetation.
Fuji is an active volcano—from time to time it erupts, throwing out lava and cinders. Since ancient times, people have regarded it as sacred—some even worshipped it as a god. These beliefs led more and more people to climb the mountain in medieval times, and in the 18th century shrines were constructed all over Japan to honor the mountain. Today, about 300,000 people make the climb every year, realizing their dream to get to the top at least once in their lifetime. Mount Fuji continues to have a special place in the hearts of the Japanese.
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