MT.FUJI WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE, SHIZUOKA

The Nurturing Mountain

Mt. Fuji is a high mountain rising up more than 6000 m from the bottom of Suruga Bay. The snow and rain at the peak soak into the ground, flowing down to form springs on the seabed. This water supports various kinds of life. Here, we will introduce the living organisms in the areas from the alpine zone to Suruga Bay.

The Nurturing Mountain

The annual average temperature at the summit of Mt. Fuji is about -6℃ and the average temperature goes no higher than 10℃ even in the summer. The temperature drops with the increase of altitude, so....
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The annual average temperature at the summit of Mt. Fuji is about -6℃ and the average temperature goes no higher than 10℃ even in the summer. The temperature drops with the increase of altitude, so growing flora also changes. This is called vertical distribution. Broad-leaved forests can be seen in the mountain belt 900 meters and above, but in the subalpine belt after 1,600 meters, there are mainly coniferous trees. In the alpine belt after 2,500 meters, there are only alpine plants such as ontade, and then 3,300 meters and above, there is only moss. As for mammals, 40 species have been confirmed, which accounts for about 40% of mammals that inhabit Japan's lands, such as the Japanese dormouse and Japanese deer. There are few alpine animals and mostly just small mammals because Mt. Fuji is a relatively new mountain in the history of Earth. If we include birds that migrate according to season, about 180 species have been reported, including swift and nutcrackers, accounting for about two-fifths of wild birds confirmed in Japan.

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Wakutamaike Pond

Wakutamaike Pond of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha directly springs underground water from Mt. Fuji. This is said to be about 200,000tons per day and the water temperature does not fluctuate much, sta....
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Wakutamaike Pond of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha directly springs underground water from Mt. Fuji. This is said to be about 200,000tons per day and the water temperature does not fluctuate much, staying at 14℃ year-round. Filled with clear spring water, Wakutamaike Pond is lush with water grasses (baikamo) and ducks swim on its surface. The pond was formerly a place of "misogi" for mountain ascetics, but is now a space to rest.

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Submarine discharge groundwater in Suruga Bay

Please scan the QR code in the exhibition room with your camera application to wacth the video.

Mt. Fuji brings abundant underground water to its foot area, but some of the water s....
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Please scan the QR code in the exhibition room with your camera application to wacth the video.

Mt. Fuji brings abundant underground water to its foot area, but some of the water springs from the seafloor of Suruga Bay as submarine discharge groundwater. According to the latest research, discharge groundwater has been confirmed near the water depth of 120-140m off the western side of the Tagonoura coast, and it has been discerned from its chemical composition and electorical conductivity that underground freshwater from Mt. Fuji occupies this mixture.

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The chirping of birds inhabiting Mt. Fuji

At "Mt. Fuji's Natural Environment," visitors can listen to the singing of the six species of birds exhibited and the Shizuoka Prefecture bird the Japanese paradise flycatcher. [Provided by: NPO Bird Research]

Swift

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Japanese leaf warbler

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Bullfinch

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Blue-and-white flycatcher

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Narcissus flycatcher

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Japanese snipe

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Japanese paradise flycatcher

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Fuji
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The plaster on the wall and floor express the geological formation of Mt. Fuji, the sky in the background, and the submarine topography of Suruga Bay. These artworks were made by expert plasterer Shūhei Hasado. Pigments were not used to produce the plaster, and the colour gradation is completely based on the natural shading of the clay. Red clay is used for the sky behind Mt. Fuji.

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Mt. Fuji and the Water Cycle
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Abundant water is a major characteristic of Mt. Fuji. Water that has evaporated from the ocean turns into snow and rain at the mountain's summit. It soaks into the surface of the mountain, and springs from the hillside, foothills, and even the ocean floor over the course of many years. This circulation of water supports many kinds of life, from the alpine zone to the ocean floor in Suruga Bay. ....
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Abundant water is a major characteristic of Mt. Fuji. Water that has evaporated from the ocean turns into snow and rain at the mountain's summit. It soaks into the surface of the mountain, and springs from the hillside, foothills, and even the ocean floor over the course of many years. This circulation of water supports many kinds of life, from the alpine zone to the ocean floor in Suruga Bay. Here we introduce images of Wakutamaike Pond at Sengen Taisha Shrine, and the welling of water on the ocean floor that was discovered in recent years. Experience the dynamic cycle of water from Mt. Fuji.

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The natural environment of Mt. Fuji
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The natural environment of Mt. Fuji is shown with acrylic samples and 3D printer models of animals, plants, insects, and fish as well as rock specimens found according to altitude from the Mt. Fuji summit to the sea floor of Suruga Bay, and embedded into a wall. The silhouette on the wall is life-size.

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A wide range of animals and plants
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From the sea floor of Suruga Bay which is 2,500 meters deep, to the summit of Mt. Fuji with elevation of 3,776 meters, a wide range of animals and plants live in the harsh natural environment around Mt. Fuji.
We will introduce some of these according to altitude.

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