Mount Fuji

Fuji from Lake Shoji, between the mountain Omuro

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Fuji (Japanese Fuji -san富士山[ ɸɯʑisaɴ ]; rarely Fudschi and after an incorrect reading of the kanji Fuji, Fujiyama ) is a volcano and 3776.24 meters above sea level the highest mountain in Japan. Its summit is located on the main Japanese island of Honshu on the border between the prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka. Since 2013 he is part of the world cultural heritage.

Geology

The Fuji is located in the contact zone of the Eurasian plate, the Pacific plate and the Philippine plate and is one of the stratovolcanoes ( volcanoes layer ) of the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is classified as active with a low risk of eruption.

Scientists believe that the Fuji was formed in four different sections of volcanic activity: the first section ( Sen - Komitake ) consists of a low-lying in the mountain Andesitkern. Then came Komitake Fuji, a basalt layer, which is believed to have been formed hundreds of thousands of years ago. Years ago, about 100,000 was formed the "old Fuji" above the surface of Komitake Fuji. From the modern, "new" Fuji is believed that it originated about 10,000 years ago on the old Fuji.

The last known outbreak occurred in the Edo period on 16 December 1707 which lasted about two weeks. At that time, formed halfway up a second crater and a second peak, named after the former era Huy -zan.

To the north at the foot of the mountain are the Fuji Five Lakes in Yamanashi prefecture.

Name

Etymology

The modern spelling of the Japanese Fuji is composed of the kanji富(fu 'rich' )士( ji, warrior ') and山(san, mountain ') together. The first two characters were chosen because their pronunciation matches the name of the mountain [NB 1]. Often possible to find the simpler notation不二what " not two " can thus play, "once" with. [Note 2]

The origin of the name is disputed. The most common theory is derived from the British missionary John Batchelor, who explored the culture of the Ainu, and after the fuji from the Ainu term Huci for " fire " comes, as it also occurs in the name of the goddess of fire Ape Huci - kamuy. The linguist Kindaichi Kyosuke had this but from talking back to historical reasons, as the former Japanese knew no h- and f - initial sound. The Toponomast Kanji Kagami sees a Japanese origin such as the Japanese name Wisteria fuji "name of a mountain foot, down the wisteria is [ ... ] of heaven [ ... ] hang ". There are also dozens of other derivations.

" Mount Fuji" or " Fuji "?

The term commonly used in western culture Fujiyama ( in German speaking countries according to Duden also Chubu ) is probably due to an incorrect reading of the character "山" ( mountain). The Kun - reading of this mark is yama Although, in compound words of several characters but the On- reading san is most often used. The Japanese name of the mountain is " Fuji -san ". According to another theory pronunciation Fujiyama before the Meiji Restoration, might have been the more common variant in Japan, as well as the names of many other mountains and villages in Japan are still read -yama today.

Mistranslations of the name as " Mr. Fuji" stem from the fact that the identical syllables -san (山, mountain ) and san (さん, neutral Japanese form of address for men and women) are confused.

The appropriate implementation of the name in English should be Fuji. However, some Japanese studies argue that one can use Mount Fuji as a proper name, and refer to it for example Mont Blanc and Mount Everest, because in those the foreign word for "mountain" also remains untranslated. The syllable -san would thus seen as part of the name.

Popularity

The totality of the religious worship of the Fuji is called Fuji Shinko (富士 信仰, Fuji - faith ) or singeing Shinko (浅 间 信仰).

The Fuji Shinto applies for centuries as sacred. To pacify his outbursts, was the imperial court - according to tradition v. Emperor Suinin in 27 BC - the deity Asami no Ōkami (浅 间 大 神, even singeing Okami equated with the goddess Konohana -no- sakuya -no- hime ) enshrined and worshiped. In 806 Emperor ordered Heizei to build the Shinto Shrine Mount Fuji Sengen Taisha HONGU at the foot of the mountain. This is now the headquarters of over 1,300 Sengen shrines (also called Asama shrines ), which were built at the foot and on the slopes of Mount Fuji to his admiration. The cry of the terrain Okumiya (奥 宫), a branch of Mount Fuji Sengen Taisha HONGU, covers the entire mountain summit from the 8th station. Importantly, the Fuji is also in Japanese Buddhism, especially in the mountain cult expression of Shugendō that sees climbing the mountain as an expression of their faith. In addition, the mountain is also revered by a variety of sects, which, founded in the 16th century, Shugendo influenced Fuji -kō (富士 讲) is the best known.

The Fuji to have been climbed for the first time in 663 by an anonymous monk. In the Muromachi period (14th - 16th century) ascents of Mount Fuji were popular, and Buddhist mandala created to promote pilgrimages to the Fuji. The Fuji -kō sect built beside mountain huts in and around the capital Edo called Fujizuka (Fuji Hill ) to allow all a symbolic climb the mountain. At the peak of this development, there were about 200 Fuji Hill. In addition, for example, were of daimyo also Fujimizaka (富士 见 坂, Fuji - show hill ) applied to better consider of these elevated points of the Fuji can.

Today, Fuji is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. Thanks to the shape of the mountain compared to other three-thousand is relatively easy to climb. In summer, when the ascent is released on three different routes to the public, can be found per day around 3000 tourists at the summit. The highest with regular road to reach station Gogōme (五 合 目, 5th station ) is located at about 2300 m. The road to get there is open to the Obon period only for buses.

A particularly beautiful view from the top offers when the sun rises over the Pacific. Many climbers place at one of 3000-3400 m located huts take a break and break night against two clock again.

Morning on a clear day, the mountain is still from 80-100 km distance to see (even from Yokohama and Tokyo from ).

It is close to the forest Aokigahara, which has become known by a high number there perpetrated suicide extends.

The Fuji in Japanese art

Because of its very symmetrical volcanic cone of Fuji is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world and is a frequent theme in Japanese art. The mountain is also common in Japanese literature and is a popular subject of many poems.

One of the earliest mentions of the mountain can be found in the poetry anthology Man'yōshū with the following long poem ( Choka ) of Yamabe no Akahito ( bl. 724-736 ):

天地 之 分时 従 神 左 备 手 高贵 寸 骏 河 有 布士 能 高岭 乎 天 原 振 放 见 者 度日 之 阴毛 隠 比 照 月 乃 光 毛 不见 白云母 伊 去 波 伐 加利 时 自 久 曽 雪 者 落 家 留 语 告 言 継 将 徃 不尽 能 高岭 者

Ametsuchi no wakareshi toki yu kamu sabite Takaku Totoki Suruga naru Fuji no Takane o ama no hara furisake mireba wataru hi no kage mo kakurai teru tsuki no hikari mo miezu shirakumo mo iyuki habakari tokijiku zo yuki wa furikeru kataritsugi iitsugi Yukamu Fuji no Takane wa

Heaven and earth, since their separation, is holy, high and noble in Suruga the high peaks of Mount Fuji. The plane of the sky, when I look at them, the wandering sun Light darkens, the shining moon remains unseen, the white clouds hesitate to overtake, while incessantly, the snow falls, I will tell and keep talking from the summit of Fuji.

The oldest artistic representation of Mount Fuji taken from the Heian period and is found on a paper -covered sliding wall from the 11th century. The most famous work is probably Katsushika Hokusai's series of paintings " 36 Views of Mount Fuji", most notably the 1830 image created " The Great Wave off Kanagawa ".

World Heritage

On 22 June 2013, the mountain with a total of 25 locations was included because of its importance as a " sacred place and source of artistic inspiration " in the list of UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage Site. The locations include 20,702 ha and are as follows:

• Berg: Fuji ( 19311.9 ha)
• Shinto shrines: Mount Fuji Sengen Taisha HONGU (富士山 本 宫 浅 间 大 社; 4.8 ha)
• Yamamiya Sengen Shrine (山 宫 浅 间 神社, 0.5 ha)
• Murayama Sengen Shrine (村 山 浅 间 神社, 3.6 ha)
• Suyama Sengen Shrine (须 山 浅 间 神社, 0.9 ha)
• Fuji Sengen Shrine Sengen-Schrein/Subashiri (冨 士 浅 间 神社/须 走 浅 间 神社; 1.8 ha)
• Kawaguchi Asama Shrine (河口 浅 间 神社, 1.6 ha)
• Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine (冨 士 御 室 浅 间 神社; 2.6 ha)
• Houses: Oshi-Herberge/Früheres home of Togawa family (御 师 旧 外 川 家 住宅)
• Oshi-Herberge/Wohnhaus the Osano family (御 师 小 佐野 家 住宅, 0.1 ha)
• Lakes: Lake Yamanaka ( 698.1 ha)
• Lake Kawaguchi ( 592.8 ha)

• Oshino Hakkai - onsen ( hot springs ) Deguchi -ike (出口 池; 0,048 ha)
• Okama -ike (御 釜 池; 0.002 ha)
• Sokonashi -ike (底 抜 池; 0.006 ha)
• Choshi -ike (铫 子 池; 0.005 ha)
• Waku -ike (涌 池; 0,078 ha)
• Nigori -ike (浊 池; 0,031 ha)
• Kagami -ike (镜 池; 0.014 ha)
• Shobu -ike (菖蒲 池; 0,042 ha)
• The caves of lava which solidified along fallen trees ( Lavabäume ) emerged: Funatsu Tainai (船津 胎 内 树型, Funatsu Tainai jūkei; 8.2 ha)
• Yoshida Tainai (吉田 胎 内 树型, Yoshida Tainai jūkei; 5.8 ha)
• Other: Archaeological remains of the Fuji -kō in the Hitoana Cave (人 穴 富士 讲 遗迹, Hitoana Fuji -kō Iseki; 2.8 ha)
• Waterfall Shiraito no Taki (白糸ノ滝; 1.8 ha)
• Pine forests of Miho no Matsubara (三保の松原; 64.4 ha)