MT.FUJI WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE, SHIZUOKA

The Fierce Mountain

Mt. Fuji, which formed in one area of the circum-Pacific volcanic belt, otherwise known as the ‘Ring of Fire’, is a young and active volcano. The first encounter between this fierce volcano and humans occurred around 35,000 years ago. This zone introduces the story of the encounter between Mt. Fuji and human beings.

The Fierce Mountain

The exhibit near the entrance (Exhibit ①) shows on two different screens. how plate distribution has changed to date and displays the long history of plate movement that is driven by the enormous e....
View more
The exhibit near the entrance (Exhibit ①) shows on two different screens. how plate distribution has changed to date and displays the long history of plate movement that is driven by the enormous energy from inside the Earth. Today, the supercontinent (Pangea) has broken apart and over ten tectonic plates are moving independently. The Japanese Archipelago has a unique presence in the world where four plates mutually collided and subducted, and there is active earthquake and volcanic activity.
　The central exhibit (Exhibit ②) uses 3D animation to introduce the topography of the Izu-Ogasawara volcanic arc where Mt. Fuji is located, as well as part of the magma generation and eruption process. This shows how the Pacific plate deeply submerged in the earth releases water that melts the surrounding rocks to create magma, which repeatedly rises and erupts due to buoyancy and grows into volcanic islands. This helps to understand how Mt. Fuji grew into an enormous volcano because it belongs to the Izu-Ogasawara volcanic arc.
The exhibit near the exit (Exhibit ③) uses distinctive line drawings to introduce the history of the relationship between Mt. Fuji as it grew from Sen-Komitake Volcano to Komitake Volcano, then Fuji Volcano (Ko-Fuji, Shin-Fuji) and the people who lived at its foot. The form of Mt. Fuji worship strongly correlates to the intensity of Mt. Fuji's volcanic activity at the time. Two major eruptions in historic times (in the years 864 AD and 1707 AD) were especially large-scale and famous as eruptions that inflicted great damage to the people. There were several other eruptions as well that affected people. Mt. Fuji eruptions will likely continue to have a close relationship with us.

Close
Mt. Shinmoedake of the Kirishima volcanoes

Infrasounds from subplinian eruptions (January 27, 2011) *Played at 100-times speed
(Provided by Associate Professor Mie Ichihara of the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of T....
View more
Infrasounds from subplinian eruptions (January 27, 2011) *Played at 100-times speed
(Provided by Associate Professor Mie Ichihara of the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo)

Close
Mt. Yasur (Vanuatu)

Sound of magma erupting from the vent (September 24, 2011)
(Provided by Associate Professor Mie Ichihara of the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo)

Close

Mt Fuji and the planet Earth
1

"Why is Mt. Fuji so tall, large, and beautiful?" The answer is clear if you know the geological mechanisms of the Earth, and how the Japanese islands were formed. Japan and Mt. Fuji are located in a unique location on the planet Earth.
Here a digital globe is used to explain the characteristics of Japan and Mt. Fuji as seen from the earth sciences. Explanations of dynamic plate movements ....
View more
"Why is Mt. Fuji so tall, large, and beautiful?" The answer is clear if you know the geological mechanisms of the Earth, and how the Japanese islands were formed. Japan and Mt. Fuji are located in a unique location on the planet Earth.
Here a digital globe is used to explain the characteristics of Japan and Mt. Fuji as seen from the earth sciences. Explanations of dynamic plate movements and continental drift are also included.

Close
Mt Fuji and the plate tectonics of the Japanese Islands
2

In this video, you can learn about Mt. Fuji as a volcano and about the Japanese islands from an earth science perspective. The video uses 3D imaging to look underneath Japan. Magma chambers are found along plate boundaries, such as the Japan Trench. The Izu and Ogasawara arc consists of a string of volcanic islands, including Nishi-no-shima Island, which has been in the news in recent years, a....
View more
In this video, you can learn about Mt. Fuji as a volcano and about the Japanese islands from an earth science perspective. The video uses 3D imaging to look underneath Japan. Magma chambers are found along plate boundaries, such as the Japan Trench. The Izu and Ogasawara arc consists of a string of volcanic islands, including Nishi-no-shima Island, which has been in the news in recent years, and Izu Oshima Island to the north. The end of the video shows the formation of Mt. Fuji.

Close
Human history and the formation of Mt. Fuji
3

Did you know that Mt. Fuji used to be a mountain with Twin Peaks? The "original Mt. Fuji" was smaller than Mt. Hakone, but was repeatedly coated in lava, and grew to its present height. Mt. Fuji is a young and active mountain. However, people have been living around Mt. Fuji since ancient times, and it has been revered as a mountain where deities reside. In this video, take note of the relatio....
View more
Did you know that Mt. Fuji used to be a mountain with Twin Peaks? The "original Mt. Fuji" was smaller than Mt. Hakone, but was repeatedly coated in lava, and grew to its present height. Mt. Fuji is a young and active mountain. However, people have been living around Mt. Fuji since ancient times, and it has been revered as a mountain where deities reside. In this video, take note of the relationship between Mt. Fuji and human beings.

Close

TOP