Vital Statistics

How big is it?

Very big

北岳

Mount Kita ( 北岳 )

北岳 In the Southern Alps

Minami Alps City, Yamanashi Prefecture

Spread across Nagano, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi

Nagano to the left, Shizuoka at the bottom, Yamanashi to the right

Also known as …

赤石山脈 Akaishi Mountains

Yamanashi North East (top right)

Mount Fuji is 583 meters higher than Mount Kita

View from Mount Kita3193 meters

Mount Ontake3067 meters

Mount Ontake – second highest volcano in Japan

Do volcanoes really blow up without warning?

Yes, they do

Could Mount Fuji erupt?

Of course not!!

Actually, I’m lying!!

Yes, it COULD

Very bad news for us!!!!

Run away!!!!

Some people claim it WILL erupt!!

It is very likely!!

I’m from Wales

Snowdon – biggest mountain in Wales

Snowdon – 1085 meters

Tiny

Pen-y-fan, South Wales

Pen-y-fan, highest mountain in South Wales

Also the highest mountain in the whole of the south of Britain!

886 meters!

We think that’s really high

South Wales

Lots of Mountains in Wales

Or are they just hills?

Does it matter?

How about England?

Highest mountain in England – Scafell Pike

978 meters!

How about Scotland?

Ben Nevis – highest mountain in Scotland

1344 meters

Nothing even half as high as Mount Fuji!

Highest mountain in Ireland?

Carrauntoohil – 1038 meters

• Highest mountain in the Netherlands?• 321 meters

• Highest mountain in Monaco?• 163 meters

• Highest mountain in Denmark?• 171 meters

• Highest mountain in Norway?• 2469 meters

• Highest mountain in Spain?• 3479 meters

• Highest mountain in France (and Italy)?• 4810 meters (Mont Blanc)

Mont Blanc

• Highest mountain in Turkey?• 5137 meters

• Highest mountain in Africa?• 5895 meters

• Highest mountain in Asia?• 8848 meters (Everest Nepal/China)

• 8611 meters (K2 Pakistan/China)

• And lots of others in the Himalayas

Mauna Kea (Hawaii)

Highest Mountain top to bottom

4205 meters

And it’s a volcano

Notice the shape

So this is only …

… LESS THAN HALF of Everest!

Of course, this isn’t a volcano!

How about volcanoes?

Volcanoes are different

Because they blow up!!

Volcano on Mars

25 kilometers high!!

How about on earth?

Oh no!!

You can see the problem

Not good!!

The Pacific Ring of Fire

Ring of Fire – sounds cool!

452 Active Volcanoes

Including Mount Fuji!

Fairly small

Highest volcano on earth – 6893 meters

Ojios del Salado in Argentina/ Chile

Mount Damavand – 5610 meters

A long way down the list

A very long way down the list

But size isn’t really that important

Statistics only tell part of the story

Mount Fuji may not be the biggest

But it may be the prettiest

新倉山浅間公園

あらくらやませんげんこうえん

下吉田

Very pretty

And COULD be JUST AS dangerous

Potentially as dangerous …

… as any volcano

Looks serene and beautiful

But we don’t know about the future

Enjoy the view

While you can!

It could change

It could change very suddenly!!

Maybe that’s part of the charm of Mount Fuji

People want to see it BECAUSE it could change

People want to climb it BECAUSE it could blow up?!

Of course, I’m not recommending it

Maybe it’s crazy to climb

But people ARE crazy

People do crazy things

People see the world in crazy ways

Their motivations are crazy

People do and see things in strange ways

Doesn’t make sense to other people

For example, people in my country

They see this …

… very big

Of course, this was in Wales

• The Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountain

• That’s a long movie title• The Englishman who went up a hill and came

down a mountain• We are a small country• So we like long things

For example

The government said this was a Hill

Actually, it IS a hill

• But people in Wales couldn’t accept the fact• It had to be a mountain• Because it seemed like a mountain to them

So it’s not all about statistics

• People have crazy motivations• They do crazy things• If Mount Fuji blows up• And you’re ON IT• Don’t blame me!

What about the early human history of Mount Fuji

Founding Fathers

You’ve probably seen one of these

I haven’t seen very many!

聖徳太子

しょうとくたいし

Contributed to Japanese Law

Early Constitution: 604

Harmony

Father of Buddhism

Opened relations with China

Semi-legendary

Able to speak from the time he was born!?

Able to understand 10 conversations at the same time

Any connection with Mount Fuji?

No

Sorry – yes

Earliest picture of Mount Fuji

Features the Prince

Not a particularly good picture of the mountain

But it IS Fuji!

The way people painted changed over time (around 1500)

Chinese artistic influence

It’s about how great Shotoku is

But Mount Fuji also gets high status

Flying over the mountain!

On a black horse

Mount Fuji and supernatural powers

With a servant

Returns 3 days later!

Transcends “little” Fuji

The mountain does not tower over the Prince

Connects with Buddha legends

Incredible mountain climbing

Transcendence via mountain experiences

En no gyoja

役行者

えんのぎょうじゃ

Legendary mountain man

Mystical experiences

Strange, mysterious creatures

Founder of Shugendou

Shugendou

修験道

しゅげんどう

Completion of some experience

What kind of experience?

A strange one

修験道

Mixture of Tao, Shinto, Buddhism

Tao

Flow of the universe

Different across cultures

Different for different people

Any connection with Mount Fuji?

No

Sorry, yes …

Magical powers made him dangerous

Banished to an island in Izu in 699

But flew to Mount Fuji every night

Here with a female figure

What about women?

The oldest Japanese story

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

かぐや姫

Princess Kaguya

Found inside bamboo

Must return to the moon

An immortal

Everyone is sad because she has gone

The Emperor wants to communicate with her

He asks “Which mountain is closest to heaven?”

The word “immortality” becomes the name of the mountain

“immortality” 不死？