Mount Fuji - Japan

In mountainous Japan, most of the mountains are part of mountain ranges. Mt. Fuji, however, soars into the sky alone. Located almost in the center of the country (on the prefectural border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi), this well-proportioned cone-shaped mountain has been worshiped by the Japanese people since ancient times, and is a well-known symbol of Japan in other countries. The highest peak in Japan (3,776 meters (12,385 feet)), Mt. Fuji is a relatively young volcano. The mountain is said to have reached its present shape about 5,000 years ago, but even since then, it has repeatedly erupted, and those eruptions since the dawn of history can be found on record. The last gigantic eruption occurred in 1707. For almost 300 years since then, Mt. Fuji has been quiet and retained its rarely noble figure, but some experts say that it will surely awake again.