MOUNT FUJI 

History:

It is thought that the first ascent of Fuji-san was in 663 by an anonymous monk. The summit has been thought of sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era. The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in 1860.

Today, it is a popular tourist destination and common destination for mountain-climbing in addition to hosting the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at the newly upgraded Fuji Speedway.

Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art. The most renowned work is Ukiyo-e painter Hokusai's masterpiece 36 Views of Mount Fuji. It is also mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and the subject of many poems.

Fuji also houses a warrior tradition: ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. The shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame in the area in the early Kamakura period. As of 2006, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps operate military bases near Mount Fuji. 

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