- Pixabay
VIVA – Mount Fuji is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world in terms of shape and symmetry. The mountain is an important asset, in terms of its contribution to Japanese culture and geography.
Mount Fuji is listed as one of the special places of scenic beauty in Japan. The Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan selects important items and places, classifying them into different categories for heritage preservation.
Sir Rutherford Alcock was the first known foreigner to climb Mount Fuji in September 1860. But before him, many say, several people had been climbing Mount Fui since 663 AD.
Here are some amazing facts about Mount Fuji that are too bad to miss.
1. Formed After Several Volcanic Activities
Gunung Fuji
- Pixabay/ Walkerssk
Mount Fuji is one of the rarest composite volcanoes made of basalt (fine-grained extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava) in the world.
The eruption of some volcanic activity led to the elegant conical shape of today. On the other hand, Komitake is a historical mountain that existed before Mount Fuji was formed. Thousands of years ago, Komitake erupted repeatedly, which formed the basis and formed what we now call Mount Fuji.
2. In 1707, the Earthquake Triggered the Eruption of Mount Fuji
Gunung Fuji
- Pixabay/ koshinuke_mcfly
Experts believe that the eruption of Mount Fuji on December 16, 1707, may have been triggered by an earthquake. The 1707 earthquake struck south-central Japan at 2 p.m. local time on October 28. It was the largest earthquake in Japanese history until the Tohoku earthquake surpassed it in 2011.
3. Mount Fuji May Erupt Soon
Gunung Fujiyama, Jepang.
- U-Report
According to Hiroki Kamata, a professor of volcanology at Kyoto University, "Mount Fuji is on standby for the next eruption."
He stated that it had now been more than 300 years since his last eruption and had exceeded the average of the previous eruption interval.
4. The Last Sign of Fuji’s Volcanic Activity was in the 60s
Gunung Fuji, Jepang.
- U-Report
Mount Fuji has erupted more than 15 times since 781 AD, otherwise known for its historical record. The volcano is still active. Nonetheless, Mount Fuji has been dormant since its last eruption in 1707. Its last recorded volcanic activity was in the 1960s.
5. Famous during the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, Mount Fuji was known as the "number one" mountain in three countries, India, China, and Japan. Since then, Fuji has been a part of Japanese literature throughout history.
6. Women Weren’t Allowed to Summit Fuji Until the Late 1860s
Gunung Fuji dai Hakone
- http://www.alidabdul.com
The peak of Mount Fuji is considered very sacred since ancient times. Therefore, women were restricted from the peak, until the Meiji era in the late 1860s.
In addition, Japan's Meiji era (1868-1912) introduced a variety of institutional reforms that sought to both modernize, and defend the country's sovereignty.
7. The Climate of Mount Fuji at the Top Has a Tundra Climate
The climate of Mount Fuji at the top has a tundra climate or the temperature can be lowest at high altitudes. It is very common to see the snow-filled cones of Mount Fuji during several months of the year.
Recorded in February 1981, Mount Fuji had the lowest temperature at -38.0°C (-36.4°F) while the highest temperature occurred in August 1942, at 17.8°C (64.0°F).
