Fuji

Etymology

The modern kanji used for the name Fuji is 富 (wealth, abundance) and 士 (noble man). However, it is likely that these characters are ateji , which means that they were chosen due to pronunciation and do not carry a semantic load.

The origin of the name Fuji remains unclear. The Taketori Monogatari story, dated from the 10th century , says that the name came from the word immortality ( Japanese 不死 fushi, fuji ) , as well as from a multitude ( Japanese 富 fu ) of soldiers ( Japanese 士 si, ji ) ^[7] on the side of the mountain ^[8] . In early folk etymology it was argued that the word Fuji came from 不二 (not + two) meaning "unparalleled," "incomparable." Another statement was that the basis is это (not + exhaust) meaning "inexhaustibility." A Japanese scholar of the Edo period , Hirata Atsutane , suggested that the name came from a word meaning "a mountain standing slim as a rice spikelet ( ho )."

The British missionary John Batchelor (1854-1944) claimed that the name comes from the Ainu word meaning "fire ( futi ) of the fiery deity ( Kamui Futi )", which was disproved by the Japanese linguist Kyosuke Kindaiti (1882-1971), based on considerations of phonetic development ( phonetic change ). He also noted that Huti means “old woman,” ape means “fire”; Ape huti kamui - deity of fire. Studies of the distribution of toponyms suggest that the origin of the word "Fuji" lies more in the Yamato language than in Ainu. Japanese toponymist Kanji Kagami argued that the word has the same root as the words " wisteria " ( fuji ), " rainbow " ( niji , there is also an alternative fuji ) and comes from their commonality "beautiful long slope" ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]} .

Title Options

In Western sources, Mount Fuji is often called "Fuji", or even excessively "Mount Fuji". This reading is not correct in standard Japanese . Other Fuji names are outdated or used only in poetry, among them Fuji-no yama ( ふ じ の 山 , Mount Fuji), Fuji-no takane ( ふ じ の 高嶺 , High peak Fuji), Fuȳ-hō ( 芙蓉峰 , Lotus peak), Fugaku ( 富 岳 or 富 嶽 , where the first character is part of Fuji's own name and the second stands for mountain).

The Japanese islands are a microcontinent (some researchers consider the archipelago as an island arc , but Japan differs from them in increased thickness and crustal area) above the subduction zone , which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire . The oceanic crust of the Philippine and Pacific plates is absorbed in this subduction zone. Mount Fuji is located at the point where the Eurasian , Philippine and Okhotsk plates meet .

Mount Fuji is located in an area of ​​long-standing volcanic activity, on top of several ancient volcanoes. There are four stages of volcanism that formed the mountain. First, andesitic lavas poured here, from which the Saint-Komitake volcano was formed, then they were replaced by the basaltic volcano Komitake. About 80,000 years ago, the so-called "Old Fuji" was formed. The modern mountain is called "Young Fuji" and began to grow 11-8 thousand years ago. From 8 to 4.5 thousand years ago, volcanic explosions repeatedly occurred here, and then during the whole millennium - abundant outpourings of lava. For the modern stage in the history of the volcano, basaltic magmas are characteristic. On the slopes of the volcano discovered more than a hundred side craters and crevices. Lava flows blocked rivers and streams, the headwaters of which were located north of the volcano in the Misaka Mountains - this is how Five Fuji Lakes (Today, a popular resort place in Japan) arose ^[13] .

Since 781 there have been 12 explosive eruptions pouring basaltic lava ^[6] . The largest 800 , 864 and 1707-1708 years . The latter is the strongest in historical time: a new crater (Hoei-zan) appeared on the eastern slope, and discarded ashes covered the streets of Edo (modern Tokyo ) with a 15-cm layer ^[1] . The name Hoei-zan is also used for a local peak at the edge of a new small crater.

Despite the complex history, the volcano developed into a conical mountain, which has similar outlines on all sides; Hoei-zan slightly breaks the symmetry. Fuji is a typical stratovolcano .

The classic image of the sacred Mount Fuji is a smoking volcano with a sharp peak, always covered with ice. The Japanese considered it a mountain of Taoist immortals; the rising smoke allegedly emanated from the elixir of immortality lit in the vent ^[14] . Anyone who conquers the summit will gain immortality ^[14] .

According to the historian and Japanese scientist Alexander Meshcheryakov , this image of Fujiyama, sung in literature and fine art, is very different from the real one ^[14] .

When the artist of the Edo period gave life to his panel, painting "The True View of Mount Fuji", he did not mean at all that his painting should closely resemble a real mountain. Rather, it was a “true view” depicting its beautiful shape so that people would see what Mount Fuji should be ^[15] .

In particular, the widespread notion of Fuji as a mountain bound by eternal snows is not true: two months a year - in July and August - there is no snow ^[14] .

The outlines of the mountain accepted in Japanese art are also incorrect: its slopes are often depicted as sheer and impregnable, often “at 45 degrees”; sometimes Fuji even appears in the form of a cone, which only the elite can conquer (according to legend, Prince S этоtoku managed to do this) ^[14] .

The first written evidence of the peak dates back to about the VIII century, when Fuji was still an active volcano. It was from then on that the reference image of the mountain began to form among the metropolitan elite, who lived at that time about 450 km from it ^[16] .

Meshcheryakov noted that, despite the strong eruption of 1707, "Japanese artists still preferred to paint beautiful and calm Fuji, as if nothing had happened" ^[17] .

The outlines of Mount Fuji have gained initial fame in the world thanks to the Japanese engravings of the Ukiyo-e era of the Edo period . The collections of engravings "Thirty-six Views of Fuji" by Hokusai , the collection of the same name by Hiroshige , "One Hundred Views of Fuji" by Hokusai are widely known.

Fuji is a functioning Shinto shrine and on its slopes are the cult buildings of the Japanese traditional Shinto religion.

The name of the sacred mountain bears many Japanese companies (among them - Fujifilm , Fuji Television , Fuji Heavy Industries and others). According to the journalist Vsevolod Ovchinnikov , the list of these companies occupies “eight pages of the telephone book” ^[16] . Such speculation in the scientific community is considered blasphemy, and scientists have proposed a special tax that must be levied for the commercial use of this name ^[16] .

Mount Fuji is a popular tourist destination in Japan and beyond. From July 1 to August 27, rescue centers and numerous Yamagoyas ( 山 小屋 - “mountain hut”) work on the mountain, where you can buy food and drinks, as well as relax on the sleeping shelves. Therefore, this period is considered the safest and most convenient for climbing. The rest of the time, the peak of Fuji is covered with a thick layer of snow. Also, at the beginning of the season, some routes where there is still snow can be closed.

The mountain is divided into 10 levels, home ( 合 目 ). From the 5th level, gogome , to the summit there are 4 routes: Kawaguchiko, Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya. There are also routes from the foot of the mountain: Shojiko, Yoshida, Suyama and Murayama.

From the lake Kawaguchiko to the 5th level, gogome , on the northern side (2300 m), a paid Subaru line was laid on which regular buses run. There is a large parking lot and many restaurants. Also on the route from gogome on the Kawaguchiko side is the largest number of Yamagoya. Most of the tourist tours are laid through it. Climbing from gogome to the summit on any route can take from three to eight hours (not counting the rest in Yamagoya), and descent from two to five hours.

In addition to the usual routes, there are parallel routes for bulldozers. Bulldozers deliver various goods and materials for Yamagoy and shops on top of the mountain, as well as evacuate people who need immediate medical attention. Using these routes is extremely dangerous, as they are not fortified and completely not protected from stones that can slide down from above. Despite this, several times cyclists were observed descending along these routes. However, this can be dangerous both for the cyclist, due to the steepness and speed, and for people climbing along the pedestrian routes laid nearby, because of stones that can bounce from under the wheels.

Each year, approximately 200,000 people visit Fuji, 30% of which are foreigners.

Mount Fuji is a national park, therefore it is strictly forbidden to throw out rubbish, which is constantly reminded by signs placed all the way to the top. At the beginning of the ascent, everyone is given a free package for any trash noticed. When climbing, when buying a bottle of water, shops allow you to throw one empty bottle.

Also for travelers built dry closets. These are the only paid toilets in Japan (200 yen). Some of them have heated seats. A number of toilets operate in automatic mode - power is supplied by solar panels.

Flights from the top are possible, but not popular due to strong winds; suitable weather sometimes happens early in the morning. Flights in the area above the Gotemba and Subashiri car parks are frequent, although sometimes they are hampered by strong winds and clouds. Many schools use the gentle slope between Gotemba and Subashiri for training.

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  View of Mount Fuji-san from the Omotetanzawa side (On the Omotetanzawa Rindo Forest Road)

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  View of Mount Fuji from an artificial Earth satellite

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  Helicopter SH-60F Ocean Hawk US Navy against Mount Fuji

• The crash of the Boeing 707 in Fuji

• Vsevolod Ovchinnikov . Sakura branch. - M .: "The Young Guard" , 1975. - 288 p. - (Library Series). - 100,000 copies.

•   Fuji : Themed Wikimedia Commons Media Files
• Mount Fuji on the Country Portal
• Mount fuji
• Interesting facts about Fuji
• Volcano live
• Official Web Site of Mt.Fuji Climbing (English)