Our terrain is constantly moving. You may know this as plate tectonics. The surface of the earth is covered in several slabs of rock, known as plates. These plates are constantly moving, bumping into and engaging with each other. For example, Japan has the Pacific plate to its east, and the Philippine Sea plate to its south. There is a boundary where those two plates meet. Magma shoots out from cracks in the boundary, which creates volcanoes. The Izu and Ogasawara islands are scattered across this boundary.
Now, back to the idea that our terrain is constantly moving. It is believed that the Izu Peninsula results from the Philippine Sea plate charging forward from the south and colliding with the Japanese archipelago. Regardless of how the peninsula was formed, you can find areas like this all over the world, where two plates collided and created a volcano.

However, Mt. Fuji is a rare breed of volcano, even when compared to all the incredible landforms of the world. Mt. Fuji sits on top of a junction of three different tectonic plates. To the north is the North American plate, to the south is the Philippine Sea plate, and to the west is the Eurasian plate. Not only does Mt. Fuji sit atop this area where three tectonic plates interact, but a volcanic belt also intersects with it, making it a location most prone to magma eruption. Mt. Fuji is the only location on the entire planet where such an intersection of factors exists. In other words, it’s not that Mt. Fuji just happened to be on this prime spot, but rather, Mt. Fuji exists because there is such a unique region on this planet.

There is also the Fossa Magna. The term Fossa Magna means “giant crevasse.” It is a rift, or a crack in the earth’s mantle, on the border of the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. This flight will travel along the Fossa Magna. Starting from the south, there is a volcanic belt comprising Mt. Amagi, Mt. Hakone, Mt. Fuji, the Yatsugatake volcanic group, Mt. Asama, and Mt. Myōkō. Magma erupted along the crack in the terrain and created volcanoes, resulting in this series of volcanic mountains reminiscent of skyscrapers meticulously placed throughout a city. These mountains bestowed their surrounding areas with hot springs, which is why they are so concentrated around regions with volcanoes.

Once we are close to Mt. Fuji, this jet will descend slightly to fly at the same altitude as the mountain. You’ll be in awe when you see what it’s like to get up close to Mt. Fuji. When you’re at close range, try looking for the site of the Hōei Eruption. The Hōei Eruption was a massive major volcanic event that is the most recent and largest recorded at Mt. Fuji. The volcanic smoke was ejected to a height of 20 kilometers in the sky, and the action continued for roughly two weeks. The volcanic ash even reached Edo, and it is said that people had to light candles during the daytime.

This eruption was so major that the shape of Mt. Fuji changed. The marks left by the eruption can be seen on the southeastern flank. You can climb up Mt. Fuji to see it, but viewing the massive crater from the sky shows us just how powerful the mountain truly is. Mt. Fuji is such a force because, relatively speaking, if it were a human, it would be as young as a teenager. Over the last 5,600 years, it has erupted over 180 times. That would mean that Mt. Fuji erupts, on average, once every 30 years. If we consider the Hōei Eruption from 300 years ago to be its most recent, that would mean Mt. Fuji has accumulated 10 eruptions worth of magma.

It’s possible that the mountain you’ll see from the sky is a sight you can only see today. It may look different upon your next visit. Though Mt. Fuji has a calm beauty to it, it is an active volcano sitting atop a globally unique intersection of tectonic plates.

We’d love for you to listen to the following guide and explore various ancient tales inspired by Mt. Fuji.